


We stretch our limbs (and walk into the light)

by frenchkiss



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Basically 23k of Zayn worshipping Liam's body, Body Image, Body Worship, Cunnilingus, F/M, Gender or Sex Swap, Genderswap, Hand Jobs, Heterosexual Sex, Liam is a cisgirl with a vagina, Lingerie, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Zayn is still a bloke though, definitely not some kind of self indulgent fantasy of mine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-03-05 08:48:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 23,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3113567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frenchkiss/pseuds/frenchkiss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Liam, you’re here," Zayn says quietly. He looks good, his sharp features breaking out into a giant grin. He’s wearing skinny jeans and a jumper that he’s rolled up to the elbows so Liam can see some new ink littered across his forearms. She can smell his spicy, cedary cologne from across the room and suddenly all her insecurities fade from her mind for a wonderful minute because her boyfriend is here and looking at her the same way he did before they both had to part ways.</p><p>She kind of wants to jump into his arms and never let go.</p><p>So, she does.</p><p>Or the one where Liam's a girl and a little insecure after a term away at uni and Zayn's more than happy to show her how much he loves her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We stretch our limbs (and walk into the light)

**Author's Note:**

> I should have my laptop taken away from me when I'm hungover, I swear. This is huuuuugely self-indulgent and totally different to anything I've written before. In this, Liam is a cisgirl, which means that she has a vagina so if you don't want to read het sex then probably don't read this. Thank you to the anon on tumblr who asked for this and sent me into a writing frenzy!
> 
>  
> 
> I don't own One Direction blah blah de blah happy new year

"Liam, what are you doing?"

Liam turns to glare at Harry, who’s looking across the room at her with some kind of bemused grin. Her hands immediately fly down to cover herself, even though she’s pretty sure it’s too late for that and that Harry’s already seen most of her (she learned pretty early on that Harry had very few boundaries - after their first night of freshers, in fact, when he crawled into her bed in the morning wearing nothing but his boxers after knowing her for less than twenty-four hours. They’ve been best mates ever since). She sighs and reaches for her dressing gown anyway before stepping into a pair of pyjama bottoms.

"Harry," she whines. "I’m fat."

Harry snorts. “You are not fat, Liam.”

"I am fat," Liam protests, flopping down onto her shitty single bed dramatically and nearly smacking her head on the wall in the process. "I haven’t had the money to join the gym this term, you know that, and I knew that, like, booze made you put on weight, but, like, not _this_ much weight.”

"You still look hella good in your corset there," Harry grins, coming over and flopping down next to her, which proves a challenge considering he’s definitely too long for these single beds and uncoordinated at the best of times. Liam just whines louder at that, so Harry bundles her into an awkward hug.

"Don’t," she argues weakly, though she clings to Harry a little tighter. "I’m just…"

"Just what?" Harry asks gently after a few moments of her not offering anything else. "What’s wrong, babe?"

Liam sighs. “What if I’m too fat for Zayn to, like, find me attractive anymore?”

"What?!" Harry asks incredulously, pulling back and staring at her like she’s just announced she’s part goat. "Liam, what the fuck? You can’t honestly think that?"

"Can’t I?" Liam snaps bitterly. "Because I look like a potato in lace right now and _that_ is hardly attractive.”

"You’re beautiful," Harry says, stroking her hair. "You’re beautiful and I’m pretty sure Zayn would bust his nut the second he saw you in that."

Liam snorts unattractively. “Yeah, right.”

"You’ve been together for, what, two and a half years?" Harry tries. "He’s almost definitely seen every side to you and, let me tell you, if he still loves hungover Liam then he’s absolutely going to still love you now, alright?"

Liam hums and buries her face into Harry’s jumper. She supposes there is some truth to his words because Zayn has seen her through everything, the highs and the lows (the lowest point being when she hadn’t made it into her first choice uni - the one that was only twenty minutes from Zayn’s - and ended up getting accepted into the University of Brighton, which even to this day feels a million miles away from Zayn and her family. But he was there, not at the pub celebrating with his mates but holding her through the tears, shedding a few tears himself as he promised over and over again that they’d make it work, that he loved her and he didn’t want to let her go for anything, especially not an extra few miles between them) and she does know she doesn’t have anything to worry about. Not really.

Except she’s spent the last eleven weeks in a state of constant anxiety, looking at pictures of Zayn on Facebook with his arms around the girls in his flat or drunk off his arse. And she’s _not_ a jealous girlfriend, she’s not - Zayn’s got her face tattooed on his goddamn bicep, hasn’t he, she’s always been pretty clear where they stand together - it’s just distance is hard and Liam doesn’t have the money to travel up to Manchester to visit him and she’s not exactly unaccustomed to Zayn’s high sex drive. It’s been a pretty tough eleven weeks, to say the least.

Harry knows this, of course, so he just tightens his arms around her waist and presses a kiss into her temple. “You’re gonna be fine, love. I mean, I’ve only met Zayn over Skype, of course, but he’s completely stupid for you. A few pounds aren’t going to make a difference, I promise you.”

"Yeah," Liam shrugs weakly, though she’s not sure she believes it. "Yeah, I guess. I just… I miss him so much, Haz."

"I know, darling," Harry soothes, petting at her hair. "But hey, three more days here and then you’re home for four whole weeks where you can be with him the entire time, eh?"

"If he doesn’t dump me for being a whale," Liam mumbles. Harry sighs and shakes his head.

"I won’t hear this," he chastises. "If I wasn’t incredibly partial to a regular dicking from, you know, lads, I’d totally do you."

"Oh my god, shut _up,”_ Liam huffs, finally cracking a smile. Harry giggles too and then starts tickling her, which distracts her for a full two minutes. She does love Harry, even if he’s not exactly who she wants to hear the words from.

*

The insecurities don’t go away though and she ends up hiding the lingerie deep in her suitcase, not wanting to look at it for now. She tries not to think about anything, really, except Zayn keeps texting her long strings of emojis interspersed with messages about how he can’t wait to see her and exactly what he intends to do to her the first night they’re back. It makes her heart flutter and her clit throb, she can’t deny (she’s only human and she is going out with the most beautiful boy in England, possibly the world) but almost straight away the excitement is snatched away and replaced by niggling doubts and paranoia.

_gonna make you feel so good tonight, baby. gonna eat you out for so long, wrap your pretty little thighs around my head and just eat you out for hours fuckkkkkk i’ve missed that so much xxxxxxxxxxxx_

_Pretty large thighs, you mean_ , Liam thinks bitterly, but she doesn’t say that. In fact, she doesn’t reply at all, just pockets her phone and then helps her mum lug her suitcases to the car and ignores it. She hates herself a little for it because she knows she must be letting her insecurities show already but right now she doesn’t want to think.

She’s missed her mum too much, anyway, so she spends the entire car journey back up just chatting with her about anything and everything.

And if her phone buzzes a few more times against her thigh, well, maybe she just didn’t feel it.

By the time they’re home, it’s started raining and Liam just wants to curl up in front of the TV with her mum and dad and an Indian takeaway. She’s never been a very good traveller and she’s bloody freezing to boot, so after she’s lugged her suitcases in from the car and hugged her dad hello, she elects to take a shower.

"Take your suitcases up to your room first, darling," Geoff says, shooting her a knowing wink and then disappearing into the kitchen. She scrunches her brows after him but eventually shrugs, yanking the bigger of the two up their awkward staircase and down the creaky hallway to her little attic bedroom.

She opens the door, too preoccupied with hauling her suitcase to notice that the light is on and there’s a boy perched on her bed. When she does notice though, she jumps, letting out a little yelp as she drops the suitcase on her foot.

"Liam, you’re here," Zayn says quietly. He looks _good,_ his sharp features breaking out into a giant grin. He’s wearing skinny jeans and a jumper that he’s rolled up to the elbows so Liam can see some new ink littered across his forearms. She can smell his spicy, cedary cologne from across the room and suddenly all her insecurities fade from her mind for a wonderful minute because her boyfriend is _here_ and looking at her the same way he did before they both had to part ways.

She kind of wants to jump into his arms and never let go.

So, she does.

She slams the door behind her and hurries towards him, arms open. Zayn meets her halfway, scooping her up in a tight embrace that Liam has missed _so much, god,_ how did she go eleven weeks without this? She feels a soft mouth find hers and she parts her lips for his tongue easily, gripping her hands in his hair and clinging to him.

"Baby, baby," Zayn mumbles against her lips, pulling back ever so slightly they can look at each other. "Fuck, Li, I’ve missed you, missed you so much."

"Missed you too," Liam whimpers and _fuck,_ she is not going to _cry._ Zayn grins and kisses her again, tugging her back towards her bed and eventually on top of him. She winces as she goes down because _what if Zayn realises I’m too heavy?_ , but Zayn takes it to mean something else, pulling back again and grinning filthily.

"Missed me a lot, I take it," he grins, dipping forward to kiss at her neck, suckling on the patch of skin that always made her weak. Liam keens, trying to settle comfortably in his lap but she’s so confused and unsure, so worried that every position she goes for will have Zayn realise she’s too big…

Zayn looks up, confused. “Babe?” he questions tentatively. “Are you trying to climb off me?”

Liam flushes, shaking her head so she doesn’t have to meet Zayn’s eyes. “I… no…”

"Li?" Zayn says slowly, sitting up a little more but keeping his arms firmly around Liam’s back. "Love, what’s wrong? You… you’ve never pulled away from that spot before and… and you weren’t replying to me, I…" He pauses, gently brushing a loose strand of hair from her eyes. "Are you okay?"

Liam doesn’t think she’s ever been redder. “I, yeah, I am, I… kiss me again, Zayn…”

Zayn dips in and connects their lips, softer and gentler than before. He moves his hand to grip the back of her neck tenderly and when they break apart again, he knocks their foreheads together, faces so close that Liam can feel his eyelashes brush against her cheek.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asks, confused. Liam shakes her head quickly and then kisses him again, this time harder and with more bite.

Zayn moans into it, turning the kiss into something a lot filthier than it was intended to be in no time at all. Liam’s aching for it, aching for Zayn to do exactly what he wrote in the texts but as his hands roam to the hem of her jumper, she freezes up.

Zayn pulls away quickly, eyes wide. “Liam,” he says, tone laced with something that makes Liam feel incredibly small and guilty. “Why… do you not want to do this?”

"What do you mean?" she squeaks, cheeks burning from panic and embarrassment. "O-of c-course I do."

Zayn narrows his eyes. “Your body language says otherwise.” He looks defeated for a second and then he tenses. “Did… I mean, did anything… you didn’t… not with someone else, did you? Because if you did I’d rather you told me now than…”

Liam feels sick. “Fuck, no, _no,”_ she almost shouts. She cups his face in her hands and thumbs away his worry lines. “I would _never._ ”

Zayn still looks unconvinced. “It’s not you, I swear,” she barrels on, willing herself not to cry because Zayn looks so defeated and she never wanted _this._ "It’s just… a little insecurity thing of mine, I dunno."

"Insecurity thing?" Zayn repeats, still obviously very confused. "About what?"

Liam huffs out a breath and just takes a few moments to will the tears away because Zayn still hasn’t let off his tight grip on her, doesn’t seem like he wants to and she feels like a bloody fool.

Zayn, who's always known her better than she knows herself, softens when he sees her face scrunch up and gently pulls her in before moving to flip them over, so she’s lying against the pillows and he’s hovering over her. “You know I love you, right? Like, it’s not that, is it?”

Liam nods, sniffling pathetically. “I love you too,” she murmurs, letting out a wet chuckle and pulling Zayn down for another kiss. “God, I love you so much; it’s just, it’s been a hard term.”

Zayn hums in agreement. “It has, but, like, is something big bothering you? You never said on Skype or…”

Liam shakes her head, her hair flopping wildly from side to side. “No, I just…” She sighs, knowing she’s going to have to just say it because she’d probably do a better job lying in front of a grand jury than in from of Zayn. “You’re going to think it’s dumb. I mean, being here with you has made me think I’m dumb so you’re going to just laugh.”

Zayn kisses her again. “Has it been bothering you for a while, babe? Because you can tell me anything, you know that, anything at all and I’ll listen because if you’re not happy then…”

"I got fat," Liam blurts and _oh._ She hadn’t meant to say it like that, blunt and plain and too honest even for the love of her life. “I mean, well. I couldn’t afford to join the gym and I’ve been drinking a lot and I’m a lazy cook so I put on some weight and I’ve just been, like…” She takes a gulp of air and feels her cheeks burning worse than ever under Zayn’s bemused stare. “I bought, like, this lacy corset thingy from Ann Summers to surprise you with and I tried it on and I looked bloody enormous.”

She squirms a little, partly in embarrassment but also because Zayn’s eyes have gone noticeably darker after the mention of a corset. She feels a little too exposed already, even though she’s still fully dressed and it’s Zayn of all people she’s bearing her soul to until…

"Baby," he says, blinking a few times before he leans down and brushes a light, tender kiss over her parted lips. "You’re fucking beautiful."

Liam fights the urge to squirm again. “But I…”

"You’re so hot," Zayn continues, nipping at her jaw, his hands trailing down to her hips. "You’re so curvy and perfect and you drive me fucking crazy."

"Even with…" Liam swallows nervously, "even with my fucking fat thighs and my pudgy gut?"

Zayn snorts, sliding his hands under the fabric of her hoodie and across the little mound of her tummy. Liam does squirm at that but Zayn just shakes his head.

"You’re gorgeous," he says, kissing over the lovebite he left earlier. "I love you so much, Li, fuck." He kisses down her neck a little and then bites at her collarbone. "Let me," he murmurs, hands coming down to toy with the bottom of her jumper. "Let me show you."

Liam can’t help the whimper that escapes her lips as she nods, letting Zayn hitch the jumper up so it sits under her armpits. Zayn’s lips kiss down her sternum, his hands back to her hips as he kisses down and along the waistband of her leggings. Liam has to fight the urge to tuck her jumper back down but Zayn is gentle and careful, kissing back up so his lips trail across the tops of her tits.

"Love your body," he murmurs as he coaxes the jumper off her completely, dropping it to the floor. "Love the way my hands fit on your hips like that’s where they belong." He kisses across her other tit. "Love your tits, they drive me wild, _god._ So fucking sexy.”

"Zayn," Liam gulps, hands fisting in his hair. " _Zayn.”_

"I love your arms," Zayn continues, moving up and kissing down the length of one. "Love your tattoos," he says, biting gently at the feather on her forearm. "Love how sexy it is, that you’ve got one for me."

"Yeah," Liam breathes out in agreement. "Yeah, love you."

"Love you so much," Zayn continues, coming up far enough so they’re now staring into each other’s eyes. "Love your gorgeous eyes; love your dopey smile and your button nose and your chubby little cheeks." He presses a kiss into each in turn. "Love that this birthmark is mine to bite on and nobody else’s."

He proceeds to lower his mouth onto it, tracing his warm tongue over the mark. Liam keens and her grip on him goes limp as he moves up to kiss her lips again, taking each of her wrists in his hand and pinning them above her head.

"You know I’d fucking love you if you were just a floating head, don’t you?" he asks, and Liam feels her heart swell in her chest. "And you know you don’t have to worry about putting on weight with me, fuck, babe. I didn’t think I came across as that shallow."

"You don’t," Liam assures. "It’s probably just all in my head because I haven’t seen you in so long and I just… I wanted to look sexy and then I tried and it was just rubbish."

"Nothing about the idea of you in a lacy corset sounds rubbish," Zayn says indignantly. He dips his fingers into the gap between her boobs. "Not that I’m not rather enjoying the view of you in this lovely bra but you know."

Liam giggles. “Maybe that’ll be your Christmas present, if you promise not to be, like, repulsed.”

"Hey," Zayn protests. "I mean it when I say you’re beautiful and sexy and gorgeous and a hundred different synonyms. I wouldn’t have you any other way. Anyway, this way there’s more of you-"

"If you genuinely tell me you’re glad that there’s more of me to love then I’m breaking up with you this very second," Liam warns sternly, covering his mouth with her finger. He just shakes his head and sucks the finger into his mouth, which makes Liam’s breath hitch more than she’d care to admit. Zayn, however, just grins around it smugly.

"S’true though," he murmurs, kissing her again soundly. "And I intend on loving you for a very long time, so."

"That has no relevance… _oh,”_ Liam moans as Zayn presses his tongue into the gap between her breasts. “ _Shit.”_

Zayn reaches behind her, unclasping her bra and letting her tits fall out, where he immediately attaches his lips onto the soft pebble of Liam’s nipple. Liam arches her back and swears loudly.

"My parents will hear," she stammers as Zayn continues to tongue around the bud before sucking at it properly. "Oh, _Jesus.”_

 _“_ Just Zayn will do,” he says cheerily, pulling off so he can toss his own jumper to the floor. His bare chest presses against her as he reaches across to reach into her bedside drawer for what Liam assumes is a condom. “And no, they won’t. I’ve treated them to a meal down at Bombay Balti so it’s just you and me, baby.”

Liam gapes at him. “You didn’t have to do that.”

"I did if it means getting you to myself," Zayn says, eyes glinting. "I mean, if you wanna do that, that is."

"I haven’t lost my sex drive," Liam says exasperatedly. "I just put on a bit of weight."

"Hey," Zayn says again, taking her chin in between his fingers and kissing her slowly. "I just wanted to make sure. It’s been a while, that’s all, and I know penetration isn’t always your favourite thing."

Liam manages to hold her stony face for a few more seconds until she softens, snorting a reluctant laugh. “Alright, darling, alright. Let’s have sex.”

Zayn beams and ducks down to kiss her again. It doesn’t take long for it to grow filthy, with one of Zayn’s hand groping at Liam’s tits while another snakes down the front of her leggings, palming her cunt through her underwear. She moans into his mouth as he just strokes over her dampening knickers - she’s almost embarrassed at how turned on she is already, but it has been _so long_ \- and then breaks the kiss as a single finger tugs them to the side, just touching at her folds lightly.

"So ready for me, so wet," Zayn murmurs. Liam can feel his cock pressing against her thigh, hard and thick. "You’re so beautiful like this, god, _Liam.”_

"Zayn," she groans out, trying and failing to get her jelly hands to undo the buttons on his jeans. "Take my leggings off me, Zayn."

Zayn nods, stammering slightly in agreement as he finally gets Liam naked, flushed and damp from sweat and slick on her bed sheets. He kisses her again as he presses a finger inside gently and she gasps into his mouth, wrapping her arms around his neck so she can kiss him harder.

He gently slides the finger out and then in again, all the way to the knuckle, just slow, lazy moments that make Liam’s head spin. It’s hot and tight and she’s forgotten how wonderful it is to have Zayn inside her like this, but it’s not enough.

"More," she pleads into his mouth. "Fuck, more fingers, Zayn, _just touch me.”_

"Wanna… wanna taste you," Zayn says instead, detaching his lips from Liam’s and kissing down her again. "Bet you taste so good for me."

The wave of arousal that spreads down Liam’s body is white hot as Zayn’s mouth lowers onto her pussy, soaking wet and all for him, running his tongue along the length of her labia and moaning at the taste.

"Oh my god," Liam whines, thighs going limp as pleasure seeps through all of her. "Yeah, _shit,_ Zayn, oh my _god.”_

Zayn hums, sending vibrations through her clit that make her moan louder. She grabs his hair in both her hands (she’s lucky he loves her, she thinks, because if he knew what his hair looked like right now Liam wagers he would not be the happiest) and tries to tug him closer to where she wants him, using extreme self-control not to hump her hips up and be greedy.

"Taste so good," Zayn mumbles into her clit before he goes directly for it, taking it between his lips and sucking. Liam tries not to sob out in pleasure but she’s close already, so close but she wants to draw this out, hold out for as long as possible because Zayn feels so good and warm and _wonderful._

Two fingers slide inside her, just under where Zayn’s tongue is working its magic and she does let out a sob at that, legs kicking awkwardly as he curls his fingers against her G-spot. “Zayn, fuck, baby, more, I…, _Zayn…”_

"Come for me, baby," Zayn says, pulling his sopping face away and crooking his fingers against her spot again. "Come on, darling, come for me…"

Liam sobs as she comes, her whole body going taut and then going limp as Zayn licks her through her orgasm. She’s pretty sure everything goes white for a few seconds - having had nothing but her fingers for a few months wasn’t exactly the same after having regular, mind-blowing orgasms with the boy she loves for pretty much all her teen years but she made do - and when she opens her eyes, it’s to Zayn struggling out of his jeans and boxers.

"Fuck, baby," he breathes out, leaning down to kiss her harshly. "You’re so beautiful, so fucking hot when you come, _Jesus Christ.”_

"Fuck me," Liam pleads, hands tugging at Zayn’s wrists. "Want more, please, fuck me."

"Yes, Li, baby, yes," Zayn hisses, scrabbling up by the pillow for the condom he reached for earlier. "Fuck, can’t wait…"

"Wait," Liam says, grabbing at his wrist. "I, er, another surprise for you, I, er…"

"What?" Zayn asks, still fiddling with the foil wrapper.

Liam swallows nervously. “The first was gonna be the corset, sorry about that.” Zayn snorts and shakes his head fondly. “The, er, the second is I got the contraceptive injection thingy. I mean, is that okay?”

Zayn stares down at her, his cock hard and heavy against her thigh. “What? You never said?”

Liam blushes again. “I’m not handling this well, am I?”

"Liam," Zayn says, swallowing audibly. "Like, we didn’t talk about this. Is everything… I don’t…"

"No, wait, Zayn," Liam stammers, wrapping her arms around his neck again. "I just… you know penetrative sex isn’t my favourite thing but I do like it, but, like, I wanna _feel_ you, you know? And I know we don’t do it a lot because you hate condoms anyway but, like…”

"But you hate needles," Zayn says dumbly.

Liam shrugs. “I love you, though.”

"Fuck," Zayn swears and then swoops down to kiss her again, hard and long and deep. "I love you. I’m gonna fucking marry the fuck out of you one day."

Liam feels like she could burst.

"You’re so…" Zayn continues, eyes glassy and hungry. "Fuck, wanna be inside you. Wanna make you feel so good, babe, I…"

"Want you to come inside me," Liam pants and Zayn groans, nodding furiously. "Want you to… _Zayn.”_

His lips are on the side of her neck again while he pumps his dick a few times, getting himself to full hardness. He then shuffles up, tracing the tip of it across her folds a few times, making her gasp.

"I-in me," she stammers. "Fuck, babe, Zayn…"

Wordlessly, he slides the arm not holding onto his dick under her hips, bringing her closer so he can finally inch inside her tight heat, gasping as her hot hole pulses around his cock. He moves slowly and Liam allows her legs to wrap around Zayn’s back, keeping him anchored to her as he fits himself inside her, overwhelming in the best of ways.

"Yes," Zayn grunts after he’s fully sheathed. "Yes, _god,_ darling, you feel so good!”

Liam whimpers in response, because she can’t find the words to describe the feeling of having Zayn so deep inside her after such a long time apart. It aches but in a good way, similar to how she’s struggling for breath but it also feels like she can finally breathe again after so long. Zayn does crazy things to her.

"You’re amazing," Zayn continues, gently tilting his hips up and making her cry out. "So tight and so… _fuck,_ so beautiful, love you so much.”

"Zayn," Liam chokes, clawing at his back as he starts to pick up the pace a little. He gently lays her back so she’s lying flat against the pillows and then starts to move a little faster, one hand above her head for leverage and the other tangling itself in hers. "Oh, Zayn, _harder.”_

Zayn complies, shifting a little more so he’s close to her and he can bump her clit on his upthrust, wanting to draw as much pleasure for her out of this as he can. She’s flushed all over, her skin littered with lovebites and dripping with sweat, breasts bouncing with every thrust and she feels amazing, her legs trembling with the need to stay spread and her lips trying to move back against Zayn’s, soft and useless.

"Missed you so much," Zayn starts to chant, his own legs starting to spasm as he gets closer and closer himself. "Missed seeing you like this, want you like this forever, so beautiful and gorgeous and _mine.”_

"Oh shit," Liam cries, voice unsteady. "Oh shit, Zayn, I’m… yeah, please, my clit."

Zayn nods, kissing her slack mouth as he untangles their fingers and moves them down to her clit, rubbing it hard and sloppily as he keeps thrusting. It doesn’t take long for Liam to tense, clenching around Zayn as she comes on his dick. It feels like every muscle in her body feels the orgasm ripping through her and she sobs into his neck as she comes down, her mind and mouth only capable of registering _Zayn Zayn Zayn._

 _“_ Oh my god, fuck, _shit,”_ Zayn garbles as he also comes, filling her insides with warm, sticky cum. Liam sighs, sated and exhausted, but then Zayn’s pulling out and sliding down her, licking around her sensitive clit and digging his tongue into her hole.

"Oh, nnnnppphhhh," she groans, trying to close her legs. "Zayn, fuck, I…"

"Do you want me to stop?" Zayn asks, though he makes no move to, continuing to lick long, broad strokes over her soaking pussy.

"N-no… d-don’t you d-dare," she slurs, panting heavily and fisting her hands in her sheets. "D-dunno if I can… again… I…"

"You can," Zayn coaxes, going straight for her clit and sucking on it. He pulls away and shuffles back up her body, staring into her eyes as he rubs the heel of his hand hard against it, making her tremble and shake. She tucks her face into his neck, gulping for air against his skin and when she comes it’s with a muffled shriek, her whole body curling around his before she goes limp.

"Baby. _Liam,”_ Zayn says, stroking her hair from her damp forehead and kissing all over her face. “God, that was incredible.”

Liam giggles softly and turns her head so their mouths press together, just gentle pecks and smiles. “I really like you.”

"I really like you too," Zayn says, rolling over so he’s pressed against the wall and curling Liam into his side. "Are you okay?"

"Pretty good," Liam giggles again, pressing a kiss into one of Zayn’s wing tattoos. "Just got three fabulous orgasms from the bloke I’m pretty fucking in love with, so."

Zayn kisses her hair. “I’m glad. I’m glad you let me.”

Liam furrows her brows. “I was always going to let you, babe.”

"You were _not,”_ Zayn says haughtily. “You were ready to push me away at one point.”

Liam sighs. “It’s dumb. I was… I mean, I just got a little paranoid and I missed you and…”

"You know I meant it, right?" Zayn cuts in. "When I said I’m going to fucking marry you someday, I mean it."

"Is this a proposal?" Liam snorts, though her heart is beating in her ears because Zayn’s looking at her like he’s considering it and _oh my god..._

"No," he says eventually, tone soft. He slides down a little so they’re both lying on their sides, face to face, and he takes her hand and presses a kiss into her ring finger. "When I propose, and I will, it’s gonna be somewhere special, like, I dunno, the Bahamas or somewhere."

Liam chuckles. “The Bahamas, alright then. I can’t even afford the train to Manchester for a weekend.”

"A bloke can dream about providing the best for his girl," Zayn hums, grinning too. "And you’re my best girl, you know. Like, I just want you to be happy above anything else ever so if I do anything that makes you feel like you’re anything less than perfect…"

"I was just being stupid," Liam mumbles into Zayn’s side. "I mean, I just… I feel rubbish anyway because I haven’t been exercising as much and stuff and then…" She sighs, not wanting Zayn to see her face as she barrels through the next bit. "I dunno, there were just lots of pictures of you on Facebook with your arms around girls prettier than me and, like, you getting piss drunk and there was just a bit in the back of my mind telling me I’m not good enough."

"You are the only person in the world I want," Zayn says, kissing her hand again. Liam doesn’t understand why that makes her heart flutter so much when she knows that really. "I would honestly sooner cut my own hand off than hurt you like that, baby." He strokes through her creased brows. "Besides, tattooing your girlfriend’s portrait on your arm makes it pretty clear where you stand, don’t you think?"

"I suppose…" Liam grumbles.

"And, hey, listen," Zayn says, leaning forward to kiss the tip of her nose. "I’ll still love you when I’m, like, seventy, right? And I’m pretty sure you gaining a few pounds then will be the last of my concern, so why is it a concern now?"

"Because I’m unattractive _now,”_ Liam mutters. “Honestly, that corset makes me look like a whale.”

Zayn looks at her sadly. “Can I not be the judge of that?”

Liam tucks her face into his neck. “Maybe some other time.” Zayn nods. “Can you just cuddle me now?”

"Of course," Zayn says, pulling her in and nuzzling into her sweaty hair. "My lovely, beautiful girl."

They stay tucked up close for a long time, Zayn’s hand stroking through Liam’s hair. “We should shower,” she croaks after a while. “I feel kinda nasty. Still got your cum in me too but I bet you fucking love that.”

Zayn just giggles as he pulls her head up for a long kiss. She lets herself get lost in it for a while – it’s been so long since she’s had a fucking kiss like this, honestly – but then catches herself as Zayn starts to gently grind their hips together.

“No, you stop that right now, Malik,” she chastises. “I need a shower and some food.”

“What’s the point of you showering if I’m just going to get you all messy again?” Zayn whines, eyes twinkling in that cheeky way he’s had mastered since secondary school. He knocks their foreheads together. “Can’t deny that you having my cum in you is hot as hell, though.”

“Shut up, gross boy,” Liam snorts. “Wanna shower with me?”

“The day the answer to that is no is the day I’m carried out in a coffin,” Zayn says with an eye roll. He dramatically flings the duvet off the both of them and Liam wails as the cold air hits her naked frame. “You see? Are you sure you want to leave this wonderful warm cocoon to traipse through the freezing house?”

“Yes,” Liam deadpans, sitting up and wrinkling her nose. “Okay, like, maybe this is a stupid question, maybe, but what is I… drip?”

Zayn stares at her blankly for a second and then starts cackling. “Oh my god, Li.”

Liam’s face feels positively on fire. “What? We’ve never done this before,” she protests. “It feels so weird, Zayn, I dunno if I like it.” Zayn continues to howl with laughter as he presses her back down onto the bed. He then sticks his head under the duvet and Liam squirms as she feels hot breath fan over her sensitive vagina. “Okay, what are you doing now?”

“Just checking to see how much is still in you,” Zayn says conversationally, like he’s just checking to see if it’s raining outside. “God, hello, little one, I have missed you.”

“Did you really just call my vagina ‘little one?’” Liam asks incredulously, throwing an arm over her face, partly from the feeling but also so she’s not tempted to try and cover her pudge with her hands. “Also, stop it.”

Zayn’s face appears next to her again, lip stuck out in an indignant pout. “What? I have missed it.”

“Will you just,” Liam groans exasperatedly as Zayn crawls over her, sticking his lip further out at her. “Will you just come here?”

Zayn beams as he dips down for the kiss. Liam bites down on his bottom lip, tugging at it lightly and Zayn groans before rolling them over so they’re both on their sides again.

“God, maybe we should just stay here,” Liam moans into his mouth, hands winding around his shoulders and fisting loosely in his hair. Zayn hums something and then pulls back, keeping their faces close.

“I mean, maybe we should never leave this bed ever,” he mumbles, nipping at her jaw. “Not for a while anyway; at least another term and a half, I’d say.”

Liam’s face falls of its own accord, suddenly remembering that in four weeks she’s only going to have to say goodbye to Zayn again for another painful term. Zayn must realise this because suddenly he’s kissing her harder than before and taking one of her hands in his, which he squeezes tightly.

“Sorry,” Liam mumbles eventually. “I’m just…”

“Don’t apologise,” Zayn murmurs back. “God, I know, I know; the thought of being in Manchester without you for another two and a half years is actually horrible and I’m so sorry it didn’t work out like we planned.”

“I’m sorry,” Liam repeats. “I wish…” She sighs and takes a deep breath. “I wish I hadn’t listened to anyone in sixth form, you know? Like I get that it’s stupid to apply to the same uni as your boyfriend, I do, and I do like Brighton and I love that I now have Harry and Louis and people but, I dunno, it’s too hard sometimes when your best friend and boyfriend are so far away, especially being as far away from home as I am.”

“I know, love,” Zayn says quietly, running the back of his hand across her cheek gently. “It feels like a million miles, I swear.”

“How the fuck can Network Rail even justify charging, like, ninety quid on a return fare?” Liam says quietly. “It’s shitty and unfair.”

“It is shitty and unfair,” Zayn agrees. “But, like, I’m not going anywhere, baby. You never have to worry about it being different when we see each other or whatever.”

“Yeah, but,” Liam says, and the insecurities are back and she _hates_ it, the fact that she automatically goes to cover her body even more with her little duvet cover. “You say that now but, like, Harry’s boyfriend dumped him after only three weeks at uni because they couldn’t do the distance thing. We still have so _long,_ Zayn.”

“I like to think we’re a little more certain than that,” Zayn says with furrowed brows. “Look, Li, we… I believe in us, yeah? And you do too.” Liam nods because she always has and almost definitely always will. “So, I dunno, we just see what happens, right? Like, we spend the time we do have together being happy and moving forward and stuff, and when we go back to uni then we deal with it as best we can, yeah?”

Liam nods. “I thought I was the sensible one,” she croaks, breathing out a wet laugh. “You’re meant to be the mysterious, cheeky one.”

Zayn grins, capturing her lips in another soft kiss. “I guess you just bring out another side to me, baby.”

“Twat,” Liam huffs, but she kisses him again anyway. “You’re very good to me.”

Zayn doesn’t say anything else, just sucks her bottom lip into his mouth and cuddles her closer.

It’s quite a bit later when they manage to crawl out of bed, spending some glorious and rather unproductive time in the shower before they both curl up on the living room sofa, bowls of Karen’s signature Shepard's pie in their laps while they watch QI repeats. Liam shifts a little so her arm is the one anchoring Zayn to her as he giggles away at whatever joke Alan Davis has just made, warm and firm at her side.

“You alright?” he asks as he reaches over to put his empty bowl on the coffee table. “You’re quiet tonight.”

“Just tired,” Liam smiles, pulling him back into her side so his head is cushioned on her boobs. “Stuffed full, too. Forgot how good Mum’s food is.”

“Mmm, same,” Zayn agrees. “Best part of being in your house.”

Liam swats at his arm. “Cheeky,” she says in protest. “You can go home if you’ve finished your food then.”

“Now why would I do that when I have all I _really_ want to eat right here?” he purrs.

“You’re disgusting, get out of my house.”

Zayn digs his fingers into her hips and she squeals in protest, trying to push him away as he tickles her relentlessly. She limply swats at him but she’s laughing too hard to really do any damage so by the time she can breathe again, she’s got a pair of plush lips on hers but she’s still laughing into his mouth so all they can really do is bump faces before Zayn gives up and just starts laughing into her shoulder.

“Good one, Malik,” she giggles into her hand. “Real smooth.”

Zayn pushes himself up so he’s hovering over her again, mouth still quirked in a happy smile. “Love you,” he just says and Liam stops laughing, tugging him down for another long kiss.

They kiss and kiss until Karen and Geoff return and shoo them from the living room (“horrible horny teenagers!”) and then retire upstairs once again to Liam’s cosy little bed, where they fall onto the mattress and kiss again until Liam can’t feel her lips and can’t remember how she ever went eleven weeks without this, because being with Zayn is like having air in her lungs again after so long on a ventilator.

(She never would have pegged herself as one of those girls who spends their entire life waxing lyrical about how wonderful their boyfriend is, but she kind of thinks Zayn might be an exception to that rule. He’s an exception to most rules, at least in her eyes.)

They fall asleep tangled together, Zayn’s arms wrapped loosely around her middle with one of Liam’s hands slotted between them. It’s too warm but also too cold but also too much of what Liam’s wanted for the past eleven weeks that she wouldn’t move for anything.

And Zayn doesn’t even make a comment when she adjusts his hands so they sit a little higher, less over what she deems to be her problem area and more towards her boobs. He just kisses the back of her neck, nods against the pillow and holds her through the night.

*

_There is nothing Liam hates more than an alphabetised seating plan._

_Sometimes she thinks she might be okay, because P and S are often next to each other so she gets to sit with Andy or Sophia more often than not, but both of them opted for French so she’s sat here in her GCSE German class, friendless and terrified of her fate as the teacher reads down the register._

_“Horan, Hunter, you sit there,” he says, directing Niall and Caitlin over to a table near the back. “Then we have Jenkins, Khan here,” he orders, “then Langdon, Lowe here, followed by Malik, Payne at the back there.”_

_Liam tenses, because what the hell is she supposed to do with that? She’s absolutely not the type of person who’s even allowed to look at Zayn Malik, probably, let alone sit next to him for four hours a week and possibly even make conversation. Fuck._

_Still, she ambles over there on shaky legs, choosing the seat closer to the wall and almost curling against it, terrified._ I’m not cool enough for this _, she thinks nervously._ I’m going to become a laughing stock all because of where my last name falls in the alphabet.

_Zayn, however, swaggers over there with the popular boy presence that he’s become known for and plonks himself down next to her. He’s really bloody fit, Liam notes reluctantly as she glances at him tentatively, taking in the slope of his jaw and his sharp, defined cheekbones. He smells a little like tobacco and Liam envies the fact that he’s cool enough to smoke and get away with it._

_(Liam hates smoking with a passion but she’d sooner eat her own hand than admit that to herself right now.)_

_“Vas happenin’,” he says suddenly, turning to look at her with a bright, cheeky grin. Liam blanches and suddenly forgets how to speak English. “I’m Zayn.”_

_“I know,” Liam says and then hates herself. “Er, I’m Liam.”_

_“I know,” Zayn says with a wink and Liam just about dies on the spot. “You live next door to Niall, don’t cha?” Liam hesitates before she nods dumbly. “He’s pretty cool. Also we can see into your bedroom sometimes when we’re round his playing FIFA.”_

_Liam splutters something incoherent and probably goes as red as her obnoxious school blazer. “I… um…”_

_Zayn just winks at her again and then clicks his pen. “Sssh now, Liam, time to learn some Deutsch.”_

_Liam doesn’t think her cheeks stop burning for the rest of the period._

_It takes almost a full term for Liam to be able to talk to Zayn without stammering out something that doesn’t pass through her brain to mouth filter. She finally manages it by Christmas, when she wishes Zayn a Merry Christmas and he just shrugs and says he doesn’t really celebrate it, which leads on to their first proper conversation about their families and home lives. It’s only a little awkward but Liam comes away feeling like she’s truly accomplished something. She doesn’t want to let herself be naïve enough to think they’re now friends but she certainly feels like less of a flop._

_They still speak in their German lessons, of course, but they also smile and sometimes even wave if they see each other in corridors and in the library. She doesn’t see him for the six weeks of summer but when they start up Year Eleven they’re both back in the same seats, but this time when Liam slides past him Zayn does a double take._

_“What’s wrong?” Liam asks worriedly. “Have I got something on my shirt?”_

_Zayn shakes his head hurriedly and Liam feels exposed and terrified and like someone is playing a terrible joke on her. She sits down and tucks herself close into the table, fighting the urge to tug her arms around herself._

_“Sorry,” Zayn says, visibly catching himself when he realises he’s been staring. “Just, um, wow Liam, you look really good.”_

_“What do you mean?” Liam mumbles. “I look the same.”_

_“Um, yeah, yeah, I mean…” he stammers and oh,_ oh, _is Zayn_ blushing _?_

_“What?” Liam mumbles again, feeling more self-conscious than she has in a while._

_“Nothing,” Zayn says quickly, turning away and riffling through his bag instead. “Did you, um, did you have a good summer?”_

_Liam nods slowly, still confused. “Um, yeah. Went to Cornwall with my parents, joined the gym, didn’t do much else.”_

_“Yeah, I…, um, cool,” Zayn gets out, smiling in a strangely false way that Liam hasn’t seen before. “Same, really, except I went to the Lake District and, um, well I didn’t join a gym.”_

_“Cool,” Liam tells him, still very, very confused. “Um, did you start on the coursework for history?”_

_The change of topic seems enough to get them back on track for the rest of the lesson, but Liam goes home and thinks about it until it starts to get light again in the morning._

_And Liam hates herself when she finds herself making more of an effort with her appearance on the days she has German (well, as much of an effort as she can in their bulky, ugly uniforms) but she does and she just… she’s always had a bit of a crush on him, hasn’t she? But now he’s staring back, albeit subtly, and_ of course _he doesn’t have a crush on her back because he’s Zayn Malik and she’s dull, boring old Liam Payne, the butt of many a classroom joke and queen of staying invisible. Whatever, she’s only got a few more months of seeing him nearly every day and then she can disappear again in sixth form, but for now she’s going to allow herself a little time to pretend, even if it’s only for a term and a half._

_Except one day towards the end of term, Zayn’s not in German and Liam knows he’s in school because she saw him in English that morning. Second hand panic seeps through her when she thinks of how exams are only three weeks or so away, so she makes sure the teacher’s back is turned before pulling out her phone to shoot Niall a quick text._

**_oi whers zayn? x_ **

**_mr. higgins office !_ **

**_wtf wat for?_ **

**_had a fight w/ sam turner i heard !_ **

**_omg wat about?_ **

**_dunno i think sam insulted zayns gf or somethin idk_ **

_“Miss Payne! Are you texting?”_

_Liam feels thoroughly miserable for the rest of the class, phoneless and more upset than she’d like to admit at the news that Zayn has a girlfriend. She tries to bury herself in German for the rest of the lesson but suddenly conjugating verbs just got a lot harder and she doesn’t know why._

_She decides she’s taking a step back from this useless pining as she walks home that day, completely oblivious to anything than her own rubbish misery._ Whatever _, she thinks as she crosses the road to get to her house,_ I have exams to study for anyway, and he was well out of my league before anything even began. Not that anything was ever going to happen _._

_The next day she sees Zayn in German again, this time with a black eye and a sour expression. She kind of pathetically gapes at him as she sits down, wanting to ask if he’s okay but also not wanting to cross a line. “Um, hi,” she settles for instead, and then curses her own useless self._

_“Hi,” Zayn says, and he seems reserved and touchy and completely unlike his usual cheeky self. “I guess you heard about yesterday.”_

_“Not really,” Liam mumbles truthfully. “Just that you got into a fight over, um, your girlfriend’s honour or something, I dunno.”_

_“My girlfriend’s honour,” Zayn echoes with a snort. “Not quite, I’m afraid. I, er, well. A couple of the lads found out about the fact I have a, um, a bit of a crush on, er, someone and they decided to rip the piss out of me for it and then, um, her, so I just had to put them in their place.”_

_“Oh,” Liam says, unsure of what to make of that. “Um…”_

_“I, er, yeah,” Zayn says, laughing nervously and scratching at the back of his neck. “Look, Liam…”_

_He’s cut off by Mr. Curtis demanding that they open up their revision guide, but Liam definitely doesn’t get much revising done. Honestly, Zayn Malik is going to be the death of her and her German GCSE._

_When the bell rings, Liam starts gathering her things together quickly, purposely avoiding looking at Zayn when he clears his throat and puts a light hand on her arm. “Um, Liam?”_

_She blinks at him, struggling for words for a second before she manages to gulp out a “Yeah?”_

_“Can I talk to you after school?”_

_Her eyes go wide. “I, um, what? Why me?”_

_Zayn laughs a little. “Well, I mean…” He pauses and then drops his hand. “I mean, you must have realised by now that it’s_ you _I’ve been crushing on all year, yeah?”_

_That sentence actually makes Liam forget English._

_“I… er… um… well… I… Zayn, I mean…”_

_Zayn snorts. “Can we? I wanna ask you out good and proper but, like, not in a German classroom.” His eyes go wide after a split second. “Unless there’s, like, no hope or something and I’m just setting myself up to fail because then you should probably say so right now.”_

_“There’s hope,” Liam blurts, flushing down to her collar. “I mean, um…”_

_Zayn just smiles, darting forward to kiss her on the cheek. “Awesome,” he says. “I’ll meet you by the gates then?”_

_“I, er, guess?” Liam stammers, using extreme self-control not to touch the part on her cheek that Zayn just kissed. “Um, bye?”_

_“Bye, Liam,” Zayn grins as he disappears out the door._

_And that’s how it starts._

_*_

“What are you thinking about?” Zayn asks the next morning, voice still heavy with sleep. He’s always been a heavy sleeper and Liam usually wakes up before him, too tangled in his limbs to even contemplate moving.

“Not much,” Liam says, rolling over to face him, her bare breasts pressing up against his warm chest. “Just, you know, when we first got together.”

“Yeah?” Zayn yawns, turning his face away so he doesn’t give her a face full of morning breath. “Why?”

Liam shrugs awkwardly. “I dunno, just was thinking about the first time I thought you might fancy me.”

The yawn turns into a chuckle. “Oh yeah?” he asks. “When was that? I dunno if you’ve ever said.”

“That’s because your head is big enough,” Liam informs him, pressing a quick kiss into the corner of his mouth. “But if you must know, it was on the first day back of Year Eleven.”

“Oh yeah,” Zayn says. “When you came back after the summer and you’d grown tits and cut your hair a little? Yeah, babe, you looked bloody good.”

Liam goes pink. “I joined the gym that summer,” she says. “And I, um, well. Recently I’ve just wondered if that’s why you noticed me.”

“Pretty hard not to notice you when I was sat next to you for a few hours a week for two years,” Zayn points out. Liam rolls her eyes.

“You know what I mean,” she tells him sternly. “I mean, like, would we have gotten together if I hadn’t lost the weight that summer and stuff?”

Zayn’s brows furrow. “Baby, I don’t…” He tugs her closer to him, stroking up her back and cradling her head to his chest. “I mean, yeah, alright, you looked fucking hot after coming back after the summer - a lot of the lads thought you did - but, like, that’s not the only reason I’m with you, you know that?”

“What do you mean?” Liam mumbles into his shoulder. “I don’t…”

“I’m with you because I fucking love you, right?” Zayn says. “I think you’re gorgeous and sweet and funny, I love the way you are with my sisters and I love that you’re so utterly you with everything you do. You’re earnest and you’re sensitive and you wear your heart on your sleeve, like me. I love that you’re my childhood sweetheart and I love that we’ve done this whole learning thing together. I love that I can make you fall apart and I love that you know exactly what to do to make me fall apart. I love that I’ve found someone I’m secure enough with to tattoo on my fucking arm because I know I want to be with you for as long as you’ll have me. And I honestly can’t tell you if I would or wouldn’t have asked you out if there hadn’t been, like, other outside factors because I honestly don’t know, but I do know I fancied you all through Year Eleven and the second that little shit Sam Turner made a comment about you I was ready to punch him in the mouth. _God,_ I was so angry and I didn’t even know if you were gonna say yes yet.”

“What did he say?” Liam asks quietly, pulling her head back ever so slightly. “I mean…”

Zayn kisses her forehead. “I dunno if I want to tell you, if I’m honest, love. It was just… I mean, looking back it was just something dumb coming from the mouth of a cocky little arsehole shitbag virgin who didn’t understand anything but _god,_ it was so…”

“Zayn,” Liam says. “Tell me. It’s not like we’re ever going to see him again, is it?”

Zayn sighs, looking torn. “Alright, alright, I suppose. He just… he just said something about how he would fuck you until you bled, which is so nasty and I just… I socked him for you because even then nobody talks about you like that, fucking hell. Nobody should talk about _anyone_ like that; I mean, what the fuck is even remotely attractive about that? Fucking creep.”

Liam gapes at him and Zayn’s arms tighten around her. “Wow,” she says dumbly, because she’s not even sure what she’s meant to say. “I mean, thanks, I guess?”

“I love you, you know,” Zayn says, gently tilting her head up. “God forbid anyone does that to you now because I’d tear them limb from limb, Jesus _Christ_. _”_

 _“_ I love you too, for all the reasons you said and a few more,” Liam says, snuggling closer into his chest. “But please don’t do that. I’d miss you too much if you ended up in jail.”

“True,” Zayn says and Liam can feel him grin against her forehead. “Uni’s tough enough, innit?”

Liam nods into his shoulder. “Yes. So don’t go.”

“I have no intention of going anywhere without you for these entire four weeks,” Zayn tells her. “Well, except, like, the loo and stuff.”

“Yeah, that’s a one man job,” Liam agrees with a smile. “Who else is even back anyway, do you know?”

“Niall is,” Zayn says. “So’s Babs, and Danny and Ant, I think Sophia too? I dunno, I’ve only really talked to you and Ni this term.”

Liam nods again. “Shall we arrange a night out then? It would be nice to see people, don’t you think?”

“Sure, if that’s what you want,” Zayn says. “Ni will be keen for sure. Dunno about the rest, but it would be good to see people.”

Liam hums in agreement, her fingers drawing nonsensical patterns into Zayn’s bare back. “Should probably work out what we’re doing for New Year too.”

“I was thinking you if I played my cards right,” Zayn grins. “Kiss you at midnight and then take you to bed, if you’re up for it.”

“Social,” Liam replies sarcastically, but the idea of that does allow for a hot tug of arousal to seep through her. “But also not unappealing.”

“Good to know,” Zayn says, trying to stifle another yawn. “I’m gonna go clean my teeth. I wanna kiss you, alright?”

“I’ll come,” Liam offers. “I need a piss too but a teeth clean does sound good.”

“Sexy,” Zayn laughs, carefully untangling his legs from Liam’s. She stands up first, padding naked over to her suitcase and rooting around for some pyjama shorts and an old top. Once she finds them, she moves back to put them and finds Zayn staring at her hungrily, tongue poking out between his lips in his trademark cheeky smirk.

“What? Like what you see?” Liam says, wiggling her hips as she shuffles into the shorts.

“Very much so,” Zayn rasps and _oh,_ that’s a voice Liam’s heard before. “Could look at your body forever, holy shit.”

Liam preens at the praise, going back over to the bed where she straddles and kisses him despite the morning breath. Zayn makes a noise of surprise but kisses back, hard and closed-mouth but still enough to make Liam’s head go a bit funny. _Honestly,_ he makes her rubbish.

“What was that for?” he asks happily. “Saying you look sexy?”

Liam flushes again. “Like… maybe. There’s just… oh, I dunno, there’s just something really nice about knowing you still fancy me even after I’ve put on the weight.”

“Love,” Zayn says, shaking his head. He cups her face and kisses her again. “You are so fucking hot I dunno how I got so lucky. You could, _Jesus_ ; you’re sat in my goddamn top and it’s straining on your tits and just…” He guides her hand between his legs, where he’s not exactly soft. “You see what you do to me? It’s all for you.”

Liam nods slowly, lip trapped between her teeth and her eyes blown wide. Carefully, she wraps her hand properly around Zayn’s length and starts to stroke him, just light and teasing, bringing him to full hardness. He bites his lip, staring at her intently as she picks up the pace a little. He’s hot and heavy, thick too, and she wants to get him off but the angle’s awkward so she carefully pushes him back so his back is against the wall and she can perch herself on his thighs without the risk of toppling them over.

“Liam,” Zayn gulps as she starts to suck on his neck, hand back on his prick but unmoving. “Liam, _shit…”_

His head lolls forward as Liam starts moving her hand again, pressing it into the soft fabric of her – _his –_ t-shirt. The drag is a little dry but he’s steadily blurting more precum by the minute and eventually Liam’s built up a steady rhythm, hand unrelenting and _twisting_ in this way that she’s perfected over the years that Zayn just marvels at. He whimpers, legs twitching and hands clutching at Liam’s shoulders in an attempt to keep her on him, which she appreciates even though they’re kind of limp and useless as he steadily approaches his climax.

“L-Liam,” he groans. “Close, darling, wanna…”

He moves his hands to her hips but she shakes her head and climbs off him, shuffling onto the mattress and taking just the tip in her mouth as her hand continues to pump him. She looks up at him, eyes wide and mouth stretched and Zayn swears as he cums, hand sort of uselessly trying to fist in her hair before he just drops it against the mattress, breathing out a heavy sigh.

“Your cum still tastes like shit,” Liam says, wrinkling her nose as she sits back up and wipes her mouth on the collar of her top. “Like salty, snotty… I don’t even know but ew. Eat some fruit for once.”

“You didn’t have to put your mouth on me,” Zayn points out, making grabby hands for her. He kisses her cheek as she props herself up next to him, drawing one of his arms around her shoulder. “I appreciated the hell out of it, but you didn’t have to.”

“Yeah, well, saves on the clean-up,” Liam points out. “Still need that piss though, I’ll be back in a minute.”

She scrabbles off the bed and ambles out the room, down her creaky set of stairs towards the shared family bathroom. She meets her mum on the way, who shoots her a smile from behind the basket of laundry she’s carrying.

“Morning, love,” she says happily, “did you sleep alright?”

Liam nods, willing herself not to blush at the thought that she's talking to her mum half a minute after Zayn came down her throat. “Yes, thanks, Mum. S’good to be home.”

“I bet,” Karen says with a little smirk. “It’s nice to have you back, even if I haven’t really seen your face yet.”

“Sorry,” Liam mumbles, awkwardly hopping from one foot to the other.

“Oh, love, I’m only teasing,” Karen says. “I know you miss Zayn the most, I’m not blind. And from my coffees with Trisha I don’t think he’s much better.”

Liam smiles at that. She knows Zayn came home twice in the term – Manchester only being just over an hour on the train from Bradford – and she can almost picture Zayn whinging to Trisha in that way he does; where he tries to make out that he’s totally fine but really he’s not and needs a cuddle.

“Yeah, I mean, I’ve really missed him,” she says quietly. “It’s nice to know I’ve been missed back.”

“Oh, hush,” Karen chastises. “You know that boy’s missed you tonnes; I bet he hasn’t stopped telling you. Or showing you, if the creaking of your bedframe last night was anything to go by.”

Liam’s mouth drops open. “Mum!”

Karen cackles. “Your face!”

Liam groans, hiding her red and mortified face behind her fingers. “Why would you say that?”

“Oh, don’t pretend you weren’t; Zayn paid us to get us out of our own house,” Karen scoffs playfully. “But if it makes you feel any better we couldn’t actually hear anything. Just wanted to see your face.”

“Oh, for god’s sake, Mum,” Liam whines.

“Oh, hush,” Karen says again. “Go have your shower. Is Zayn staying for supper?”

“Probably,” Liam mutters. “Unless you’re gonna make sex jokes over it in which case we’ll go to his.”

Karen snorts another laugh. “Like Yaser isn’t as bad, honestly. Gosh, teenagers!”

Liam shuts the bathroom door behind her hurriedly and turns on the tap, drowning out the sound of Karen’s laughter as she carries the laundry basket down the stairs. Her cheeks are still flaming when she looks in the mirror after squeezing toothpaste on her brush, eyes going wide in horror as she sees the smattering of love bites all across her neck and the top of her chest. There’s even one on her _arm,_ fucking Zayn. No wonder her mum ripped the piss out of her.

She has her wee and then has a quick body shower, bundling her hair on the top of her head and tying it in a loose topknot. She hurries back upstairs with just a towel wrapped around her and when she closes the door, she sees that Zayn is dozing again, lying stark bollock naked on top of her duvet.

“Oi,” she says loudly, pulling her towel off and throwing it at him. He wakes with a start and curses, glaring at her through his floppy fringe. “Go and clean your teeth, I wanna kiss you.”

“That was damp, you meanie,” Zayn pouts, tossing it onto the floor and flipping her the finger. He then seems to process that she’s naked and his eyes rake up and down her body, his mouth quirking into his little smirk. “Well, hello.”

Liam rolls her eyes. “You act as if you haven’t just spent the entire night pressed up against my naked body, you total boy. Go and clean your teeth!”

“Toss me some pants then,” Zayn says, gesturing to his backpack where it’s propped up against Liam’s wardrobe and purposefully not taking his eyes off her arse. “Can’t very well great your mum stark naked, can I?”

“I think you doing that once was enough,” Liam giggles, remembering the time when Zayn had thought he would be safe creeping down to the loo in the middle of the night and accidentally met both Karen and Geoff in the hallway. “Honestly, I still can’t believe my dad saw your cock.”

“We said we’d never talk about it again,” Zayn whines, tugging his pyjama bottoms up and slapping her arse gently as he strolls out the room. She shakes her head after him and then hangs her towel on the back of her door, then grabbing her toiletries’ bag and rooting around for her deodorant and lip balm. Once she’s done that, she perches on her bed and starts rubbing moisturiser into her face and then drops it on the floor when she feels Zayn’s cold hand on her bare shoulder.

“Hello,” he says, plopping down on the bed next to her and draping himself practically across her whole back. “You smell good.”

“I’m glad,” Liam says, tugging him off and pushing him onto the mattress so she can crawl over him. “I just got assaulted on the way to the bathroom, you know. Apparently my mum can hear the bed springs.”

“What?” Zayn splutters. “But we didn’t have sex again after they got back, what?”

“I know, she was joking,” Liam says, running her finger across the lips on his chest. “She also said that she’s been having coffee with your mum a lot. Says when you come home you’re a whiny git.”

“Am not,” Zayn protests, his tone indignant. “I might have mentioned you once or twice, but, like, what does she expect, we’re going out and I miss you, you know?”

“You miss me loads, don’t you?” Liam teases, poking at Zayn’s nipple. God, she loves him _so much._ “You’re a mess without me, Malik. You complain to your mummy about how much you miss me and even then she has a laugh with it about my mummy because you’re such a big softie. You…”

Whatever she was about to say next is replaced by her squeal as Zayn flips them over suddenly, hovering over her and pressing his face right close to hers.

“You wanna keep teasing or do you wanna actually get a kiss from me today?” Zayn says with raised eyebrows. Liam immediately shuts up but can’t stop the giggle that erupts from her that she always gets when Zayn tries to be all alpha like this. It’s the kind of thing that would have sent her teenage anxiety levels sky high when they first got together but now it just makes her laugh, especially because Zayn has a dried patch of toothpaste on his bottom lip.

“Kiss,” she snickers, pouting up at him and Zayn sighs like it’s a big deal but then captures her lips in his own, parting them gently as he sticks his tongue in her mouth. She’s still giggling as she winds her arms around his neck, tugging their bodies flush together despite the fact that he’s now pretty much just lying on top of her.

She realises after a belated few moments that she’s actually still naked, sprawled open underneath Zayn as he slides a hand down to rest just above her thigh, settling there as a warm and solid presence. She lets her own hand slide into his hair, tangling in its unruly wispy curls while the other sits on his cheek, another firm anchor for herself.

“Mmmm, minty,” Zayn notes as he pulls away, licking at his lips. “Morning anyway, love.”

“Morning yourself,” she notes. “Are you staying all day or do you have to be anywhere?”

“Nope,” Zayn says merrily. “Mum kind of already said she doesn’t expect to see me for a few days at least, but she does want you to come round for tea one day soon. She’s gonna make that casserole thing you love.”

“Yay,” Liam says happily, stomach almost rumbling at the thought of Trisha’s delicious chicken. “Your mum is my favourite.”

“I think you might be hers too, but you already knew that,” Zayn says. “Anyway, what do you want to do today?”

“I think I’m hungry,” Liam says after a moment’s pause. “And I think I want one of your omelettes.”

“I’m sure I can rustle something up,” Zayn says, stifling another yawn behind his hand. “Just a shame that you’re going to have to put clothes on for it, isn’t it?”

“So are you,” Liam notes. “What a crying shame.”

“And then do you fancy a comfy day?” Zayn says, shaking his head at her fondly. “Netflix and cuddling?”

“Sounds wonderful,” Liam says. She gently sits up, taking a pillow from behind her and putting it in front of her stomach before she even realises what she’s doing. “What series shall we binge watch this Christmas?”

Zayn, on the other hand, is staring at the cushion. “Baby, why are you covering yourself like that? Are you cold?”

Liam furrows her brows. “What? Oh, no, just…” She flushes again as the cogs in her mind tick and she realises what she’s done. “No, like, it’s just, um, a habit I got at uni, I guess. Covering my stomach.”

“Why?” Zayn asks. Liam is just glad he hasn’t tried to pluck it out of her hands because the more she thinks about it, the more she doesn’t want Zayn’s eyes on _that_ part of her and moving the pillow would mean that’s where his eyes would focus on. “I’ve seen you naked, like, maybe more than I’ve seen you in clothes.”

Liam huffs out an embarrassed breath. “Yes, alright, but I don’t want you to focus on… _that_ bit of me.”

“Your vag?” Zayn asks and Liam cringes at the word but Zayn doesn’t seem to be trying to be rude, he seems genuinely confused. “I quite like your vagina, I thought you’d have gotten that by now.”

“No,” Liam says reluctantly, face flaming again and _god,_ she’s not been this embarrassed around Zayn since the first day of sixth form when she walked into the common room _holding Zayn Malik’s hand_ while the entire year stared and whispered after them. “My, um, my gut.”

“Your gut,” Zayn echoes, and this time he just looks sad. “What, your cute little tummy?”

“S’not cute to me,” Liam drawls, hugging the pillow a little tighter. “Fucking ugly, more like. The way it sticks out when I sit down, it’s nasty.”

“Baby,” Zayn sighs, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t… I’m literally so attracted to you that seeing you like this is actually more upsetting than any weight you could gain. Which, I still don’t care about, by the way.”

Liam’s face sets in a tight line of anger. “So, what, you think I’m being stupid, is that what you’re saying?”

“I’m saying you’re being stupid if you think I’m going to mind seeing the girlfriend I’ve loved for the best part of three years naked, soft bits and all,” Zayn says. “I don’t understand, like, I get that you don’t want me to touch it when we’re asleep, which is fine, but yesterday when we had sex you let me and also you _know_ I don’t care.”

“You don’t care,” Liam echoes, suddenly wishing that she wasn’t naked because she’s never felt so exposed. “You don’t care that this is now a huge deal for me and I’m actually really unhappy with how I look?”

“But why?” Zayn tries. “You know I think you’re the most beautiful thing in the world…”

“Yeah, well, I feel far from it,” Liam snaps. “And it’s not always about you, Zayn. Maybe I need some reassurance from you sometimes, but it’s not just going to make a lifetime’s worth of insecurities fly away.”

“A lifetime’s?” Zayn gapes. “Wha… you have _never_ mentioned this before, how was I meant to know? Like, when we were on holiday this summer and you were wearing bikinis and crop tops and you looked so, like, confident in yourself and it was so fucking great.”

“Because I got fat this term,” Liam retorts. “But I’ve never been a skinny girl, have I? And, like, yes, I can’t say that having a boyfriend who calls me beautiful all the time doesn’t help because it does and you _know_ it’s your opinion I care about, but, like, we were apart for so long and I didn’t want you to see the ugly change in me and it’s just gonna get worse and it’s Christmas…” She cuts herself off, sighing. “I dunno, like, I get that you don’t care, but I do? And, like, I would like you to respect that. Please.”

Zayn’s just staring at her at this point, toying with the loose threads around the cuffs of his pyjama bottoms. She swallows nervously, willing herself not to get upset over this but then Zayn is reaching forward, wrapping her in his arms without a word. He lets the pillow still sit in between them.

“I love you so much,” is all he offers and Liam can’t do much more than wrap her arms around his back and cling to him because she’s so grateful he knows her well enough to know she doesn’t really want to talk about it anymore.

“I know,” she mumbles. “I love you too.”

He pulls back and kisses across her eyelids, then her nose and then finally her mouth. “Whatever you need, I’m here, alright?”

She nods, hugging the pillow to her a little tighter like a child clutching a blanket. “Thank you,” she says quietly.

“Do I, um,” Zayn starts hesitantly, “have I done anything to make it worse?”

Liam shakes her head quickly. “No, no, it’s, um. It’s a me thing. I think I make it worse in my head, if I’m honest.”

Zayn nods, nibbling on his bottom lip. “I love you,” he says again. “I don’t know what else I can offer aside from that right now but I just… I mean, you know I’ve already threatened to propose but I’ll do it right now if you want me to.”

“Not everything is about you, Zayn,” Liam says, reaching forward and slotting their fingers together. “I just… it might take some time for me to be, like… oh, I dunno, like, okay with you touching my middle? I’ll get there though.”

Zayn nods and squeezes her hand. “Whatever you need, baby. Whatever you need. I’m not… I can’t pretend I, like, fully _get_ it but then again I think there’s a chance I’m a little biased when it comes to you.”

Liam grins at that. “True. You think too highly of me, you really do.”

“I resent that,” Zayn says, setting his face into a dramatic pout. “That’s my girlfriend you’re talking about there and I cannot believe you would accuse me of not going for the hottest girl in the world.”

Liam snorts. “I’m hardly Angelina Jolie, am I?”

“Well, no, but I think she’s a little out of my league anyway, don’t you think?”

Liam swats at him. “Shut up.”

Zayn smiles, shuffling a little closer and gently pulling her hair out of its topknot, combing his fingers through it so it sits in loose curly tendrils against her shoulders. “Come on, darling. Let’s go eat.”

Liam nods. After a careful, almost tense few seconds, she pulls the pillow back and places it behind her head, standing up quickly so Zayn doesn’t have any time to linger. She pads over to her suitcase and drops down onto her knees, riffling through it for a clean pair of pants. She locates some and puts them on the floor next to her, followed by a clean pair of socks and her University of Brighton sweatshirt, craning her head behind her when she hears Zayn laughing. “What?”

“I just,” Zayn chuckles over from where he’s unpacking his own clothes from his backpack, “it’s just strange to me that you don’t want me to see your tummy sitting down but I just got a full view of your arsehole and you're, like, totally unfazed.”

“Shut up,” Liam whines, quickly stepping into her knickers. “It’s different.”

“Okay,” Zayn says simply, pulling his old Boyce Avenue t-shirt over his head. “I believe you. I’ll go with your judgment here.”

Liam rolls her eyes at him as she pulls her jumper on, foregoing a bra if they’re only staying in today. “You should.” She pulls on the same pair of leggings that she was wearing yesterday and snaps them up onto her hips before flipping her head forward so she can gather all her hair onto the top again. Zayn pouts.

“I like it loose.”

“Not when I’m cooking, it’s gotten too long,” Liam explains. Zayn shrugs and Liam can’t help but wish explaining everything else was this easy. She sweeps it aside though and reaches for Zayn’s hand. “Food?”

“Food,” Zayn echoes, taking it even though they’re going to have to break apart to get down Liam’s awkward, narrow stairs, but she’s grateful for it anyway.

Zayn makes her a cheese omelette and a big cup of coffee then goes back upstairs and fetches his laptop and a duvet so they can curl up on the sofa in front of the big TV. They set up series three of Red Dwarf and watch it all the way through and then Karen serves them up a giant meal of roast lamb and Yorkshire puddings until they can’t do much more than lie on the sofa again for a good couple of hours.

When they do manage to stumble back upstairs, Zayn carefully shuts the door behind them and then kisses her hard, holding her impossibly close as he marches them back towards the bed and drops her on it, barely giving her enough time to register what’s going on before he’s straddling her thighs and kissing her again and again.

Ever so gently and ever so slowly, he strips her of her clothes and kisses along all of her, except for the part he promised he wouldn’t touch. He wraps an arm around her waist and pulls her close so she’s practically straddling him instead and then fingers her for what feels like hours, until she’s trembling and incoherent and begging him to touch her clit.

Once she’s come all over his fingers, he uses her wetness to slick himself up and then jerks himself until he’s coming all over her tits, which he then licks off dramatically.

“It does taste like shit,” he notes as he falls onto her chest. She giggles, kissing his damp hair, and pulls him in to a tight hug. “Maybe I should start eating more fruit.”

“Probably,” Liam yawns. “Nasty stuff. Thanks for clearing it off me.”

“Any time,” Zayn says breezily, resting his head on her shoulder. “Want to shower?”

“No, want to cuddle,” Liam mumbles, moving her hand so his head is anchored against her chest. “Shower together when my parents have gone to bed.”

“Okay,” Zayn agrees. “Nap until then, I guess.”

“Good idea,” Liam says through another yawn. “Love you.”

“Love you so much,” Zayn whispers, pressing a kiss into her skin and pulling the duvet over them. He tangles his hand in hers awkwardly so it’s resting on her sternum. “Sleep well, beautiful.”

*

Christmas comes and goes a few days later and Liam has a really nice time with her sisters and her parents and Zayn, who has spoiled her with far too much. He spends the night at hers on Christmas Eve – he doesn’t celebrate it like Liam does so he’s not really got the same kind of celebration at home – and they wake mid-morning to the smell of croissants and smoked salmon. They don’t get out of bed straight away but pretty soon Ruth is hammering on her door because she wants to open presents. It’s loud enough for Liam reluctantly peels herself out of Zayn’s warm hold and pad downstairs, where a plate of breakfast is immediately placed in front of her that she’s expected to wolf down so they can get through to the good part – Ruth’s words, not hers.

Zayn emerges a little later with a gift bag in his hands and he sets it under the tree and sits politely on the sofa with his hand loosely holding Liam’s as presents are handed out to various members of the family. When it comes to her turn, Zayn sheepishly hands over the bag with a little smile. She darts forward and presses a quick kiss onto his scratchy cheek and then pulls the tissue paper out, where she finds two envelopes and a small jewellery box.

“Zayn,” she whines, pulling the little box out first. “You shouldn’t have; I only got you that!” She gestures to the Superdry bag next to his feet. “You’re so naughty.”

“Gross,” Geoff and Nicola remark at the same time and Liam flushes, hurrying to open the box. Inside, nestled on another bed of tissue paper is a necklace in the shape of an L with their anniversary carved into it, delicate and beautiful. She gapes at it and then at him for a second because it’s so personal and adorable and so not what she was expecting that she’s a little struck dumb.

“Do you like it?” Zayn says quietly and Liam looks up quickly because he sounds nervous for whatever reason. As if Liam could _ever_ hate this.

“I… _Zayn,”_ she says, closing the box and setting it on the arm of the sofa quickly so she can throw herself into his arms and press a lingering kiss onto his mouth. “This is beautiful, love.”

“What is it?” Karen asks excitedly. “What did he get you?”

“It’s an L necklace with our anniversary on it,” Liam says, opening the box again and holding it up proudly to show her mum and dad. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

“Oh, Zayn, that’s lovely,” Karen says happily, tracing over it gently. “What a thoughtful gift.”

“That’s not even the best one, I can assure you,” Zayn grins. He takes the box from Liam and pulls the necklace out. “Here, can I put it on you?”

Liam nods eagerly, tugging her hair up in her hands so he’s able to fasten the clasp without it getting in the way. She gives him another quick closed-mouth kiss before she turns back to the gift bag, pulling out the first envelope.

She slides her nail under it and rips it open, pulling out a document that looks like a printed receipt. “It’s for a railcard,” Zayn explains. “I ordered it but it didn’t quite come in time, but basically it means you get a third off all rail travel for the next three years when it runs out.”

“Babe,” Liam whines as she leans over to kiss him again. “It’s too much, honestly. You’re so…”

“Open the third one and then tell me what you think,” Zayn grins. Liam shakes her head, not sure what could actually top this unless Zayn dropped to his knee and pulled an engagement ring out right now, when she pulls out a handful of train tickets.

“What?”

“There’s two sets,” Zayn says, his grin not faltering. “One for you to come down to me in the fourth weekend of term and one for me to come to you in the seventh, I think. Anyway, two visits next term. I mean, they weren’t as expensive as I thought because I booked them for use with a rail card but…”

“You piece of shit,” Liam breathes out, cutting him off and making Karen exclaim “Liam Jean!”

“Do you like them?” Zayn says, waggling his eyebrows. “Did your boy do good?”

Liam carefully tucks them back in the envelope and then kisses him hard, not even caring anymore that her parents are watching because her heart feels like it could burst and she’s never been more excited to see Zayn in her life.

“Alright, that’s enough, I think,” Geoff says loudly. “Some of us have more presents to open; you two can explore each other’s mouths later.”

“Geoff!”

Liam grins, hiding her face in Zayn’s shoulder. He tucks an arm around her waist as he murmurs apologies to her parents and then leans over to whisper in her ear when everyone else is distracted by Ruth opening her presents from her boyfriend. “I wanted to get you a promise ring but my mum said it was too far because I already got the tattoo.”

Liam squirms a little with glee. “We’ll call it a promise necklace then,” she offers, sliding her hand into his. “Also, you absolutely spent too much money on me and I should protest.”

“Protest all you want, I’ve already spent it,” Zayn says with a shrug. “Merry Christmas, baby.”

Liam really should protest, but she thinks she might let it slide. It is Christmas, after all.

*

It takes more time and effort than Liam expected to be able to organise a night out with all their friends from home but they all agree to do something for New Year’s Eve, so they arrange to meet at their local Wetherspoons for drinks before getting the train into Leeds and then splitting a cab on the way back. Liam, who has always been rather lazy when it comes to getting ready for nights clubbing, spends the entire day in bed and only gets out at six in the evening when Zayn comes round, looking ridiculously hot in a simple black button shirt tucked into black jeans.

“Zayn,” she whines, sitting cross legged on her bedroom floor, “do my make up for me.”

Zayn shoots her a look. “Not likely. Remember that time I tried to do it for fun and you looked like you’d been punched? Yeah, not likely, babe.”

“It’s not like I even need to bother, but I’m going to anyway; where’s the logic in that?” Liam continues as she dabs foundation across her face. “I’m never gonna be as hot as Soph or Jade or Jesy, and you’re the one taking my sorry mug home at the end of the night anyway.”

“Terrible, isn’t it?” Zayn hums from where he’s sprawled on Liam’s bed with a can of Carling. “A fate worse than death, bringing my girlfriend home with me. However will I live?”

“Shut up and chuck me that eyeshadow palette,” Liam instructs, rolling her eyes. “You’re not funny.”

“I know, I’m dark and mysterious,” Zayn grins. “A regular enigma.”

Liam wishes she knew what enigma meant.

They get to the pub just before eight, where Danny, Ant, Sophia, Niall, Barbara, Jade, Jesy and Andy are all already sat around what used to be their regular table, pitchers of sex on the beach filling it. They’re greeted with a thunderous cheer and Liam goes round and hugs everyone tight because she’s missed her girls badly and she’s been around just a stinky boy for far too long. She flops down on the end seat of the booth next to Sophia, who gently links their fingers.

“Missed you, Li,” she grins, reaching over and gently wiping up a smudge of lipstick from the corner of Liam’s mouth. “I tell you, you had to pick the most inconvenient uni in the bloody country, didn’t you? All of us pick a nice northern uni and you pick the furthest away corner of the fucking south.”

“I know,” Liam says sadly. “It’s a good uni but it does feel bloody far away when you’re homesick.”

“Bet you’ve been horny as hell too,” Ant chips in. Zayn kicks him under the table. “Alright, Malik, it’s called banter, chill out.”

Sophia snorts and just winds her arm around Liam’s shoulder as Zayn shoots something back. “Should probably warn you that Charlotte’s coming with Josh and Dan later,” she whispers. “I know it’s probably not unsurprising given how close she used to be Babs or whatever but I just thought you should know.”

Liam swallows, nodding even though she now feels rather tense. It’s not like she has anything to worry about _really –_ she’s not going to claim she hates Charlotte because she doesn’t, but the idea of spending New Year’s Eve with her best mates and then the girl who spent both of their sixth form years not so subtly flirting with her boyfriend in the common room isn’t the most appealing thing in the world.

“She’s with Josh now, by the way,” Sophia continues, scratching her long nails comfortingly down the top of Liam’s spine. “Like, I know they were just shagging over the summer but apparently they’re making it work. Well, she’s at Wolverhampton and he’s at Ashton in Birmingham so it’s only a ten minute train anyway, but yeah.”

Liam nods, shooting Sophia a grateful smile. “Thanks,” she croaks. “I mean, it’s not, like, an issue, really, well…”

Sophia snorts. “She was well out of order for all of sixth form; don’t try to defend her to me. I was fuming that day she ‘accidentally’ spilled her coffee on his trousers and started dabbing his legs down in front of you. What a bitch.”

“You don’t think… like, I don’t need to worry, do I?”

“I mean, probably not,” Sophia says. “She’s not an idiot, even if she is an _idiot,_ you know? Also Zayn’s staring at you like he wants to eat you a little bit.”

Liam blushes at that, which is stupid because Zayn has spent the last few days eating _something,_ so she’s not exactly adverse to the idea. She definitely should have met up with her friends earlier in the holidays.

“Have you guys not been, like, constantly shagging for the past ten days?” Sophia snickers. “Honestly, it’s only creepy.”

“It’s not that creepy when you remember he has her portrait on her arm,” Jesy points out as she reaches across to top up her glass from the pitchers on the table. “I’d be more worried if he wasn’t looking at her like that.”

Liam does giggle at that, helping herself to her own drink. It’s nice to catch up with the girls and it’s not long before she’s feeling suitably tipsy, devouring two pitchers between her and Sophia in under an hour.

“What time are we getting the train?” Niall asks when the clock hits half nine. “Surely we should go soon, what do you think?”

“We need to wait for Charlotte and the lads,” Danny says. Liam watches as Zayn visibly sits up a little straighter and she feels a low feeling of jealousy tug in her belly – Charlotte’s not even here yet, _Christ_ – and she’s almost tempted to go and sit in Zayn’s lap and kiss his stupid face when she sees Zayn stand out the corner of her eye and wander over to her.

“Do you want another drink, babe?” he asks. Liam nods and Zayn shoots her a smile, disappearing up to the bar with Niall.

“Babe,” Sophia giggles, trying to imitate Zayn’s thick, sultry tone.

“Oh, shut up,” Liam says, lightly swatting at her arm. “You’re just jealous because I got the boyfriend first.”

Sophia peers at her over a pair of non-existent glasses. “It’s not even that we’re all jealous of, _babe._ It’s the fact that we’re never gonna find men that compete; are we, girls?”

“No,” Jade sighs dramatically. “We’re doomed to a life of disappointing men.”

“Look at me,” Barbara adds. “I’m going out with Niall Horan, for goodness sake. I bet Zayn’s never tried to suffocate you with a beer belch.”

Liam opens her mouth to protest but then Zayn’s sliding back, handing her a large glass of rosé with a lingering hold on her hand. “You good?”

She nods and smiles up at him, pulling one of his legs in between hers so he can’t walk away. “Are you?”

He snorts as he nods yes, reaching forward to ruffle her hair, which makes her squawk and nearly spill wine all over the both of them.

“Fuck off, Zayn,” she snaps, reaching past him to set the glass on the table. It’s then she hears the gasp behind her.

“Oh man,” Charlotte says from where she’s hanging off Josh’s arm. “Did you two finally break up?”

There’s a pause and then the entire table bursts out laughing. “Broken up? These two?” Sophia cackles. “Yeah, not a chance.”

Charlotte just raises her eyebrows and pushes Josh into Zayn’s empty seat, plonking herself down onto his lap. Zayn looks down at Liam, eyes twinkling like he’s trying to bite back a laugh, and pulls his leg out of Liam’s before going and plopping himself down on Niall’s lap, who doesn’t even flinch and wraps his arms around his waist like it’s actually Barbara sat there.

By the time they all decide to head to the train station, Liam’s tipsier than she thought and she’s got one arm wound around Jesy and another around Jade as they stumble down the high street, singing an old S Club 7 song at the top of their voices. When they get onto the platform and Jesy breaks away from the group to readjust her shoes, she finds another arm snake around her, pulling her aside to gently steady her.

“Easy, tiger,” Zayn murmurs, brushing some curls out of her eyes. “Are you having a good time?”

“The very best,” Liam says happily. She pushes her face forward into Zayn’s – she’s just about the same height at him in heels – and ends up missing his mouth and getting a mouthful of beard instead. “Oopsy.”

“Mmmm,” Zayn hums with a breathy laugh. “I’d slow down if I were you.”

“I will do as I please,” Liam giggles into his shoulder. “And that includes doing _you_ later. Because I love sex. Sex is sooooo good. Especially with you.”

“You’ve only had sex with me, Liam,” Zayn says flatly. “So it better bloody be.”

“No, I mean, like,” Liam hiccups, “when I’m at uni and I have to have sex with myself. That’s no fun.”

“Baby, sssshh,” Zayn says with a laugh as Jesy walks past with her eyebrows raised. “You’re chatting shit.”

“Sorry,” Liam mumbles. “Did you know I love you though?”

“I did,” Zayn promises, kissing her hair. “C’mon, let’s get you on this train. Has anyone got any water?” he asks the wider group.

“Don’t be such a protective boyfriend, Malik,” Danny ribs him. “She’s fine; we’ve got, like, half an hour before we even get to Leeds anyway so there’s time for her to sober up a little.”

“How boring,” Liam says, baffled. “It’s New Year’s, why would anybody want to be sober?”

“No idea, love,” Zayn says, guiding her gently towards a seat. “Down you sit.”

“I know how seats work; thank you, Zayn,” she says primly. “Shall we sing another song?”

It does indeed take just over half an hour to get into Leeds and in that time Liam does feel remarkably more sober than she did at the start of the journey, despite the bottles of vodka being passed around. When they all stumble off the train, giggling and singing once again, Liam just slips her hand into Zayn’s carefully and presses a kiss onto the back of his.

“You alright, baby?” he asks her, tugging her a little closer. “You cold or anything?”

“I’m fine,” she says through chattering teeth. He gives her a look. “Okay, fine, it’s bloody freezing but it’ll be boiling once we get in the packed club, it’ll be fine.”

“Your dad will bloody kill me if I bring you back with pneumonia,” he grumbles, but tightens an arm around her obligingly. “Also, as if Charlotte is here. As if she thought we’d break up.”

Liam giggles despite herself. “I dunno whether to be angry or not that she’s here. At least she wasn’t all over you on the train, bloody hell.”

“That might have been down to you taking a little nap on my shoulder, babe,” Zayn says teasingly. “Also she had her tongue in Josh’s mouth for a lot of it. PDAing for attention, quite possibly.”

“Do people PDA for any other reason?”

“Maybe if they think their girlfriend is worth making everyone jealous over,” Zayn muses. “For example, I’m going to PDA you so hard at midnight.”

“Sexy,” Sophia shouts, skipping up to them and linking her arm through Liam’s. “Give her to me, I haven’t seen her in ages. You’ve had her all week!”

Liam tilts her head for a quick kiss and then yells a goodbye as Sophia encourages her to take off at a run for whatever reason. She’s giggly and she’s happy by the time they get to the club and when they get inside, Sophia drags her and the rest of the girls straight into the loo.

“Why are you touching up your lipstick if Zayn’s only going to lick it all off in ten seconds?” Jesy cackles, bumping her with her hip.

“Because not everything I do is for Zayn,” Liam retorts, rubbing her lips together and then dropping the tube back into her bag. “Also this shade of lipstick makes him look at me in that way that you all laugh at.”

That earns her an extra loud load of cackles from the girls, who tease her about being whipped and completely full of shit.

Oh, well. At least she picked a good guy to be like this for.

They stumble out back into the main throng of people after a variety of NYE selfies for Instagram have been snapped and their make-up is once again immaculate. Sophia seems to spot someone else she knows so she shouts to Liam she’ll find her in a second so Liam turns back to the bar where her heart does a little flip.

Because Zayn is pressed up against the bar and Charlotte is talking into his ear (she’s actually taller than him in her heels, which makes Liam even angrier for whatever reason) and saying something into his ear that makes him throw his head back in a laugh. They’re standing pretty close and Liam feels a useless sense of betrayal given that they were just laughing at this girl fifteen minutes ago, for fuck’s sake.

“What the fuck?” Jesy says, appearing behind her and putting a hand on her shoulder. “Who does she think she is?”

“I don’t…” Liam says dumbly. “I’m going over there.”

“Damn right,” Jesy says encouragingly. “Trip her over. Rip her dress.”

“I’m not gonna do that,” Liam hisses. “Just gonna...”

“Snog his face off,” Jade adds from her other side. “Smear your lippy all over his face.”

Liam gives a tight nod before teetering over to him in her heels, hoping Zayn can see how annoyed she is from here. He spots her after a couple of seconds and gently slides out past Charlotte (which isn’t hard, Liam notes with a sick feeling, because she’s _so_ much thinner than she is) who gapes at him and might shout something in protest; Liam can’t tell because suddenly she’s being kissed.

“Christ, Li,” Zayn murmurs as he pulls away, his lips now also a nice shade of berry red. “She won’t leave me alone. She asked if I’d bought her a drink and it was yours, what the fuck?”

Liam blinks at him, confused. “What the hell? Where’s Josh?”

“Doing shots with some of his music buddies in the room upstairs,” Zayn explains. “I think she’s caught on to the fact that she’s not exactly popular among our friends.”

Liam dares a glance over his shoulder, where Charlotte is now hanging off Danny’s shoulder. “She’s literally so weird.” She idly drops her hand from Zayn’s shoulder. “I wish you wouldn’t humour her though.”

“What do you mean?” Zayn says, trying to take her hand back. His eyes go wide as Liam pulls away. “Babe, what?”

“You know I don’t like her,” Liam says flatly. “She was pressing herself up against you like I would, come on, Zayn.”

“She was trying to talk to me and it was loud,” Zayn retorts. “What am I meant to do, shove her away?”

“Yes,” Liam snaps. “If she’s taking drinks and getting up in your space then yes.”

“Li, what the hell?” Zayn asks angrily. “Are you jealous or something?”

“It’s not jealousy,” Liam replies haughtily. “It’s more to do with you should know by how what rubs me up the wrong way and she’s pretty high up my list. How would you like it if I went and draped myself over Andy?”

Zayn’s eyes flash with anger and Liam can’t help but feel a little smug, despite the fact that she’s just dragged one of her best friends into this (it’s not her fault she’s known Andy her whole life and Zayn’s convinced he has a not so secret thing for her). She crosses her arms in front of her chest.

“And you know what?” she continues, suddenly fuming as she sees Charlotte strut across the club past them and into the loos, “this is what she fucking wanted, I bet you. She knew it would piss me off and then we’d have a row.”

“I don’t… is there a fucking need to make this into a row?” Zayn asks crossly. “Because what the fuck did you think I was going to do, Li? Snog her? Fuck her against the bar?”

“What the fuck?” Liam cries. “Why are you being a cunt about this?”

“Ah, yes, I see,” Zayn scoffs. “I’m being the cunt and starting a fight for no good reason when all I did was _not_ push a girl out the way.”

“You don’t need to push her, just telling her to back off would be a start,” Liam growls. “She hardly needs pushing anyway, she’s a human fucking twig.”

Zayn opens his mouth and then closes it again, pausing for a second before he starts again. “Is this… is this the body thing again? Because fucking hell, Li, you can’t be stupid enough to think I’d cheat on you with someone just because they’re _thinner_ than you.”

“Don’t call me stupid,” Liam snarls. “You don’t know what it’s like, alright? It’s fucking hard going out with someone like you, because I love you so much and yet I’m _constantly_ plagued with this fucking… you’re so much better looking than me and everyone knows it and I bet you everyone’s thinking _what’s he doing with her?_ And Charlotte _definitely_ thinks it…”

“Do I give a fuck?” Zayn shouts. “Because I don’t give a toss about what anyone else thinks of our – _our –_ relationship. And also, shut the fuck up about me being better looking than you because that’s bullshit.” His emphasis on the word ‘our’ makes Liam feel like crying. “I still don’t fucking care about your weight and I still don’t fucking get why you aren’t listening to me. What do you want me to say?”

“Maybe that you’re sorry you talked to her and let her press herself up against you like that?” Liam says incredulously. “Maybe I love you Liam and I’m sorry?”

“I love you, Liam, but I’m not sorry,” Zayn says defiantly. “There’s a huge difference between talking and cheating.”

“I never implied that you were cheating,” Liam explodes. “I just want a little bit of respect to my feelings!”

“What about mine?” Zayn yells back. “How you constantly needing this reassurance that I’m not going to cheat makes me feel as a boyfriend? How you’re starting a fight on New Year’s Eve in the middle of a fucking club for no _fucking_ reason?”

“Oh, fuck this,” Liam snaps, turning on her heel and heading back over to the girls. Zayn shouts something after her but she doesn’t hear him, too busy being bundled into a hug by Jesy.

“What happened?” she murmurs into Liam’s ear. “You’re shaking, babe, bloody hell.”

“He’s being a dick,” Liam trembles. “He’s saying that I have nothing to be worried about, so being annoyed is unjustified. And then he was like it’s not like I’m gonna fuck her on the bar, like, what the fuck?”

Jade and Jesy both gasp. “What the hell, Zayn?” Jade shouts, cuddling into Liam’s other side. “That’s well out of order.”

“Let’s get some more drinks,” Jesy says, pulling back and patting at her hip. “Come on, Li, we can still have a good night.”

Liam wants to mumble that she won’t have a good night if Zayn and her are fighting but she’s stubborn so she doesn’t let herself. Instead, she lets her two friends ply her with Sambuca shots and then she’s dragged onto the dance floor where she grinds on her friends and tries to make herself look at hot as possible (which is difficult when she’s drunk and in heels and sweating as much as she is, but she knows Zayn’s looking).

It gets to twenty to twelve and the bar announces that it’s closing until after the New Year’s countdown when Liam reaches the epitome of miserable. Zayn’s disappeared into the smoking area and she’s not starting the new year with him mad at her, not a hope in hell. “I’m going to find Zayn!” she slurs in Jesy’s ear. “I wanna kiss him at midnight and I’m not angry kissing him.”

Jesy nods understandingly and blows her a kiss, turning back to where she’s dancing with Sophia and Andy. Liam pushes through the crowds and blinks up at the dim signs that light up the doorways, trying to guide her unsteady self towards her boyfriend.

She’s just about to open the door to the smoking area when Zayn emerges from the loos opposite, his face softening stupidly as she stumbles.

“Zayn,” she hiccups miserably as she ambles back over to him. “Zayn, don’t hate me.”

“I don’t hate you, you daft cow,” Zayn says, bundling her against his chest. “But I really didn’t want to start the new year with you mad at me.”

“That’s what I said,” Liam says, blinking at him sadly. “I’m sorry I had a go at you.”

“No, I should have told her it was inappropriate,” Zayn says, cupping her cheeks and kissing her lips ever so softly. “I wish I had, to be honest.”

“I’m sorry,” Liam manages again. “I wish I hadn’t kicked off either. I hate being jealous.”

“I know, love,” Zayn says, stroking her hair from her eyes. “I hate it when you get jealous. Then _I_ get jealous because you go off and you do all that... dancing.”

Liam smiles into his neck. “Did you like the dancing?”

Zayn groans. “Why do you think I left? These trousers are too tight for your funny business, madam.”

“Can we go dance together now?” Liam asks hopefully. “And then I can kiss you at midnight like I wanna.”

“Of course, baby,” Zayn says, stealing another kiss. “Lead the way.”

She shakes her head and pouts her lips, fluttering her eyelashes in a way that she hopes comes across as minxy. Zayn chuckles and wraps his arms around her tighter, kissing her long and slow.

“Oi, s’not midnight yet,” some drunk bloke hurrying past into the loos slurs at them. “Get a bleedin’ room!”

Liam giggles and just kisses him harder until she has to pull apart for air. She grins at him, using her thumb to wipe the excess lipstick now caked across Zayn’s lips and then wipes her fingers on the bottom of her dress before sliding her hand into his.

“Shall we?”

Zayn nods and lets her lead him back through to the main room and onto the dance floor, where they’re once again greeted by a cheer from all their friends. Zayn flips the lads off and wraps his arms around Liam’s waist, who wraps her own around his neck and just smiles at him happily.

“You ready to spend another year with my ugly mug then?” Zayn shouts over the thumping bass.

“I so am,” Liam giggles. “And it’s my favourite ugly mug, so I’m sure I’ll be okay with it.” Zayn grins and moves his hips against hers a little, slowly moving them in time to the beat. Liam tries to stifle her gasp but fails and grips at his neck a little tighter, hoping it’s not too obvious that they’re going to practically be dry humping if Zayn picks up the pace.

She’s interrupted by the DJ switching the music off and starting the countdown over the mic. Liam repeats the numbers slowly, staring right into Zayn’s eyes as they reach down to one and then yells out a “Happy New Year!” before she kisses Zayn hard, smiling into his mouth as he licks into hers.

“Happy New Year, darling,” he whispers, knocking their foreheads together and beaming at her.

“Happy New Year,” Liam repeats, her mouth seemingly now fixed in a permanent grin. She goes in for another kiss but then Sophia’s tugging on her arm and pulling her out for her own hug. “Happy New Year, Soph!”

“Happy New Year, Li,” Sophia says into her neck. “I’m glad you worked it out.”

Li pulls back with furrowed brows. “How did you…?”

“Jesy,” Sophia explains. “Not that bitch, lord knows where she even is.”

Liam nods and then moves on to Jesy, then very nearly falls over as Niall picks her up around the waist from behind and spins her around. The music has swapped from thumping drum and bass to what sounds like an Auld Lang Syne and YMCA mashup and by the time she’s kissed everyone and wished them all a happy new year, it’s moved on to Wham!, which is a lot more appealing to sing and dance to in Liam’s eyes (apart from the fact that you can’t really grind to it, but, hey, there’s time for that later).

“Baby, I’m your man!” Zayn sings in her ear before he grabs her hand and twirls her around, then presses their giggling mouths together again.

Liam wouldn’t want to start a new year any other way.

*

A few days later, Zayn goes off to visit his grandparents in Shipley so Liam goes out for a Nando’s and a mooch around the sales with Sophia instead. She would have gone with Zayn but his grandparents are a little old fashioned and not exactly Liam’s biggest fan (that was the night that Liam learned she’s not very good at being quiet) and it’s nice to have Sophia to herself for a while anyway.

That is, until Sophia drags her into Ann Summers.

“I just wanna get something to surprise El with when I get back,” Sophia says with a sly grin. Over lunch, Liam had been completely filled in on the girl that Sophia’s sort of just sleeping with but also sort of dating and she’s already excited for them to get their acts together because Sophia’s more smitten than she’s ever seen her and Liam’s struck with an odd sense of pride.

“Like what kind of thing?” she asks as they stroll through the sales. “Like a thong, a corset or a babydoll?” Sophia stops and stares at her proudly. “What?”

“Nothing,” Sophia says, amused. “Just remembering when you and Zayn first got together and you called it _lingiree_ , now you know more about it than I do.”

Liam flushes. “We… Zayn likes it when I put on a bit of a show, you know? Although recently he’s been more turned on by seeing me in his clothes, which is a change.” They walk through into one of the weird sections that the shop has set off and Liam points to one of the corsets hanging on one of the higher rails. “I’ve got that one but haven’t worn it yet.”

Sophia’s eyes widen. “Why?” she asks incredulously. “That’s gorgeous; bet Zayn would jizz all over himself straight away if he saw you in that.”

“Sophia!”

“We are in a sex shop,” Sophia drawls back with a roll of her eyes. “And we both know it’s true.”

“I mean, maybe… it’s a bit tight on my hips,” Liam mumbles, cheeks still flaming.

“Isn’t it meant to be?” Sophia asks with a shrug. “Does it come with matching stockings?”

“No,” Liam says. “Why, do you wanna buy it?”

“Maybe,” Sophia muses. “But seriously, get some stockings for it, Li. You’d look hot as fuck. Now did you get the panties or the thong?”

Liam blushes all the way through buying a pair of thigh highs and wishes she had kept her mouth shut. It’s not that she’s embarrassed, not really – she’s got more sexy undies stashed away in her drawers than she’ll ever admit to out loud – but she’s also always preferred buying online because whenever she has to talk about sex stuff like this, her face just _flames._ She blames Zayn.

When she gets home, she goes straight up to her room, carefully hiding the carrier bag behind her back. She closes her bedroom door and then flops down on her bed, pulling out the packet of stockings and turning them over in her hand.

The thing is, Zayn has always made her feel so good in sexy underwear. His eyes go all dark and he licks his lips in this way that makes Liam shudder a little and he’s just _so_ good at making her feel sexy when she wears it that she’s not really sure why she stopped. And yeah, maybe the corset is a little tight, but it did make her tits look fantastic and the thong did make her bum look less flat…

She sits up, pausing for a second, and then hurries over to her suitcase (that she’s still too lazy to unpack) and finds the corset and thong double. She sets it on the bed and then strips herself of her clothes before sliding the corset over her head. It’s a struggle and takes a lot of craning her neck behind her so she can look in the mirror to tie it up but she manages it eventually. She then slides on the thong, snapping it over her hips, and stares at her reflection for a few seconds, grabbing at little bits where the lace is itchy against her skin.

The stockings come next and she slides them up each leg slowly, trying to make them sit evenly even though nobody’s going to see. She puts her hands on her hips and cocks her knee a little so she’s posing and she doesn’t look as bad as she remembers, she must admit.

On an afterthought, she pulls her hair out of its messy topknot and lets it lie against her shoulders in messy ringlets. She then reaches for her make-up bag and roots around for her darkest red lipstick, carefully painting it onto her lips and smacking them at her reflection. She pouts and then starts pulling faces at herself in the mirror, even mulling over the idea of sending Zayn a cheeky two second snapchat of herself, until a knock at the door makes her almost jump out of her skin.

“Who is it?” she says in a shaky voice, scanning the room hurriedly for her dressing gown and praying to every deity that it isn’t her father.

“Me,” Zayn’s voice rings and she lets out a sigh of relief. “Can I come in?”

She gulps and then nods, straightening the corset across her tits because she’s gonna do this, she’s gonna show herself off and then have amazing sex, she is. She then realises that he can’t see her and calls out a “um, yeah.”

The door nudges and Zayn strolls in chatting a mile a minute. “You won’t _believe_ what my granddad said to Doniy-“

He cuts himself off, gaping as he surveys Liam in front of him, who tries to stand in a manner that doesn’t look too posed but also not too slouchy. He drops his bag to the floor and shuts the door one-handed, still without saying anything. Liam can see his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows.

“Hi,” she says nervously, carefully walking towards him. “Do you like it?”

“Oh my god,” she hears Zayn stammer. When she gets close to him, she can see his eyes have gone dark and his hands reach out for her, where he holds her at arm’s length and takes all of her in. “Baby, I…”

He sighs, fingers dipping gently into the waistband of her thong and running over her skin. Liam’s breath is coming out a little more ragged than she’s care to admit but she’s struck a little dumb – Zayn is just staring at her all over like he can’t get enough.

“You look incredible,” Zayn says after a few more moments of staring. “You look… _fuck,_ you are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, you’re honestly… _fuck._ Is this… is this _the_ corset? _”_

Liam nods. “I was just curious,” she says, gasping a little as Zayn leans down and starts sucking on her neck, “to, er, see what it looked like again and then I, um, maybe, _oh.”_

Zayn starts kissing slowly down her collarbones and towards her boobs, running his hand over the bulge of one lightly. The other slides down her sternum and towards the frilly front of her thong which he fingers for a second before he slides it to rest on one of her bare arsecheeks.

“Fuck,” he breathes again. “Can I see you from behind?”

Liam nods slowly, turning on slippery feet against her wooden floor and leaning forward just the littlest bit. She grins cheekily to herself as she hears Zayn swear again and then there are so hands on both her arsecheeks and hot breath on the back of her neck.

“Wanna… wanna…” Zayn breathes, pulling her close to him and feeling up her thighs. “Wanna eat you out, _Jesus,_ eat you out through your pretty little thong.”

Liam whimpers and nods, hands tightening around Zayn’s as he nips at her earlobe. “Yeah, yeah, want that,” she groans as he moves his hand around and slips two fingers into the top part of the thong, dry fingertips running gently across the top of her folds. She groans, her head lulling back against his shoulder as his other hand slides up and cups her breast, squeezing a handful that makes her groan.

“Against the wardrobe for me, darling,” Zayn murmurs to her and she obliges, stumbling over her discarded clothes to press her back flat against the cold surface of her mirror. Zayn kicks off his shoes and yanks his top off before he carefully get down onto his knees and marches forward on them, hands finding her hips again.

His hot breath brushes over the top of her pussy and she squirms and spreads her legs a little wider, swallowing in anticipation as Zayn tugs the string of her thong to one side so he can see all of her.

“Beautiful,” he murmurs as he dips a finger inside and feels how wet she is already. “Fuck, you’re so wet for me already. How long were you waiting for me?”

“Didn’t, _shit,_ didn’t know you were coming,” Liam hisses as Zayn’s fingers just brush over her clit. “Wanted to see what it looked like again because I was in Ann Summers and Sophia said you’d like me in it.”

“Sophia’s not wrong,” Zayn smirks as he laps his tongue lightly over her folds, never actually pressing inside. Liam groans, her head smacking the wood of the wardrobe as Zayn continues to tease. “You’ve never looked more perfect, I want you in this all the time.”

“Yeah?” Liam says shakily, hands finding Zayn’s hair. “Tell me.”

Zayn slides two fingers into her then and Liam nearly falls forward because _fuck,_ Zayn’s fingers are long and wet and perfect. He uses the other hand to grip her thigh, stopping her from sliding and actually injuring herself. “You just… oh my god. “ With that, he buries his face straight in between her legs, pulling his fingers out so he can wrap another hand around her other thigh, probing his way inside her wetness with intent.

Liam moans loudly, her murmurs of “yeah” and “fuck” and “Zayn” coming out in breathy pants. The angle is a little awkward but Zayn tugs her legs a little wider apart and flattens his tongue over her clit, rubbing his face into her like he can’t get enough, holding her firm.

“Shit,” Liam hisses, hands uselessly flailing by her sides to try and give her some sort of leverage. She settles for putting her palms flat against the wood but her legs are quaking as she tries to stop herself from falling while wanting to just succumb to how good this feels.

Zayn pulls off for a second to press kisses into the sensitive insides of her thighs, teeth nipping at the tops of her stockings. Liam whimpers as he snaps the elastic and he smirks before he delves back in, tracing his tongue across her slowly before he uses one hand to push her folds apart and suck around her clit, practically burying half his face inside her.

Liam can’t even remember her own name by the time Zayn starts to pick up the pace, humming and sending vibrations that feel like they reach her fingertips through her sensitive nub. He licks in deeper, his tongue curling at the tip of her entrance and pressing inside as deep as he can reach. He continues to tongue inside her and from his angle, his nose rubs sharply against her clit. She’s so close and she’s trembling, Zayn’s strength all that’s keeping her upright and she’s struggling for balance worse than before, her stocking-clad feet sliding all over the floor.

She comes hard as Zayn pulls back to suck on her clit once more, her vision going white as she loses her balance and sags against the wardrobe. Zayn pulls himself up just in time, hands going to her hips to take the brunt of her spent weight.

“Jesus,” Liam groans, clinging to Zayn’s shoulders as she tries to steady herself. “Oh my god, oh my _god.”_

Zayn gently tugs her towards the bed, sitting down on it and pulling her onto his lap where he kisses her for the first time since that morning. His lips are wet and taste like her and it’s _filthy,_ the way he licks into her mouth, no doubt smearing her lipstick everywhere.

His hands find her shoulders and he pulls her even closer so she’s lying on top of him. She can feel his erection pressing against a bruise on her thigh and she groans, pulling off to lean back and tug down his jeans and toss them to the floor in a crumpled heap.

He sits up and meets her halfway as she goes back to kiss him, grabbing at his cheeks and sitting back in his lap. He draws one arm around her waist and uses another to fist in her hair, kissing her and kissing her until she can barely breathe.

“What do you want, baby?” he gulps, pulling away and looking like a debauched mess – his hair all over the place, his skin pink with arousal and a dark red tint all across his lips and chin, which should not be as hot as it is. “Fingers, cock, mouth, anything.”

Liam pants, a little overwhelmed. She gulps, trying to think of a coherent answer before her brain remembers how good it felt when Zayn fucked her a couple of weeks ago. They haven’t since but Liam wants to be full again, full and fucking herself on Zayn’s cock like she’s grown accustomed to doing on his fingers.

“Wanna, um, wanna ride you,” she slurs, adjusting herself on his lap so his dick is pressed against her pussy. “Want you to fuck me, come on.”

“Are you sure?” Zayn asks, eyes lust blown. Liam nods hurriedly. “Yeah, you want that? Wanna use my dick to get yourself off?”

Liam nods again, whimpering as the arm around her waist tightens, pulling her closer and lifting her a little so Zayn can grip his cock and start to guide it inside her. She moans as it starts to push into her wet pussy, mouth open and gasping for air as she slowly starts to sink down.

Zayn, in the meantime, starts kissing along her tits, tracing his tongue along the top of the corset that isn’t really doing much to keep them contained anymore. Liam gasps as he gently pulls one of her breasts out and wraps his fingers around her nipple, tugging on it so her back arches and she nearly loses her balance.

“Slow, slow, s’too much,” she begs, grabbing for his shoulders and using them as leverage to sink down the final inches. “Oh, _oh, fuck…”_

“You okay?” Zayn grits out, mouthing at her neck again. “Baby?”

“S’a lot,” Liam gasps, trying in vain to flick her long hair from her eyes. “Oh, fuck, can you… you can move in a second, okay?”

“Okay,” Zayn says, his voice strained as he moves his hips in little circles inside her. She groans and tugs him in for another kiss while she positions herself, eventually settling on her knees. She too rolls her hips and Zayn groans against her mouth, nipping at her lips as she pulls back to push her hair out the way again.

Zayn leans back a little so he can cover her hands over his chest as they start to pick up a rhythm, meeting each other’s thrusts. Once she’s a little surer of herself, Liam starts to bounce a little more, lifting herself up on her knees and then sitting back down in sure, swift movements. Her hands pillar themselves above his shoulders and Zayn groans, knowing that means he’s able to touch, hands sliding down to grope her bum again.

“Yes, Li, _yes,”_ he groans, smacking one of her arsecheeks. Liam moans obscenely, faltering a little as pleasure-pain jolts through her. She adjusts her hips a little, shifting her body back on her knees a tiny bit so his cock rubs against where she wants it and starts to fuck herself properly using his hips to keep her balance.

Zayn sits up a little too, grabbing her bouncing breast and reaching for the nipple again, twisting it between his fingers and making her cry out again. “Again,” she wheezes and he smirks despite the fact he looks wrecked, and happily obliges.

“Close?” he pants, snapping his hips up hard and Liam whimpers, nodding and slipping a hand down to her clit to rub at it. Zayn swats her hand away with a growl and then tugs her forward, drowning out her whine of protest with a rough kiss.

His arm winds back around her waist and tugs her down onto him, fucking up harder and harder until she’s crying out into the crook of his neck. She’s burning all over, close and yet so far because she needs someone to touch her fucking clit.

“Zayn,” she wails, trying in vain to get a hand on herself again. “Zayn, please, I need…”

Zayn’s thrusts suddenly slow and he tugs her even closer before he rolls them over and pulls out. He takes his cock in one hand and then guides Liam’s hand to between her legs, who starts to rub herself hard, on the verge again in seconds.

“Can I come on you?” Zayn groans, the slick sound of him jerking himself filling the room. Liam moans and nods against the pillow, so, so close herself. “Li, baby, where?”

“Tits,” Liam gulps. “Come on my tits.”

Zayn topples forward, hand supporting himself against the wall just in time as he shoots all over her with cry of “oh, fuck, Liam!” Liam sighs raggedly as she’s covered and then comes herself, trembling Zayn’s hold and then going lax.

“Bloody hell,” Zayn says, taking a deep breath and collapsing next to her. “That was bloody good, weren’t it?”

“Wasn’t it just,” Liam snorts once she’s found her voice again. “Christ, I feel like jelly.”

“Good orgasm, was it?” Zayn smirks, like he hasn’t just made her practically black out twice.

“Quite good,” Liam says cheekily. “How was yours?”

“I feel like this is the kind of conversation we should have when we’re old and only having sex once a fortnight,” Zayn says instead.

“Well, you started it,” Liam points out. She rolls over onto her side so her back is to Zayn. “Undo this for me, will you?”

Zayn’s deft fingers move down and gently untie the corset, until it’s loose enough for Liam to slide down her legs. She murmurs her thanks and then rolls back over, pressing her naked chest against Zayn’s.

“Cuddle.”

“So demanding,” Zayn says, pretending to roll his eyes but he obliges anyway, wrapping his arms around her back and only cringing a little when he feels his cum rub against his skin. “Ooh, this is lovely.”

“Shut up,” Liam yawns. “You’re the one who wanted to jizz on me.”

“Yes, alright,” Zayn titters. He tilts her chin for a quick kiss. “Hey, you looked lovely in that.”

Liam grins to stop herself blushing. “Yeah?”

“Meant it when I said you were the hottest you’ve ever looked,” Zayn continues. “Your tits, and your fucking thighs, babe, _Christ.”_

“You flatter me,” Liam says, trying to play down how much Zayn’s words actually mean to her and _so_ glad he skipped over her tummy.

“You deserved it,” Zayn says. “Why were you wearing it anyway?”

“Just wanted to see what it looked like again,” Liam says, trying to shrug. “Was helping Soph try some lingerie on earlier and it inspired me.”

“Did she remind you of the time you called it lingiree?”

“Shut up,” Liam moans. “Yes, of course she did. Leave me alone.”

“Says the one with her naked body pressed against mine,” Zayn tuts. “You love me too much to want that.”

“You are literally so annoying,” Liam huffs. “I don’t know why I love you.”

“So you admit you love me?” Zayn beams, rolling on top of her and poking at her sides, making her howl with laughter. “I knew it, I knew it!”

“Stop,” Liam chokes out, “stop! You know I hate being tickled.”

“But you love me,” Zayn says gleefully, settling back down next to her and kissing her hard. “That’s all I needed to hear, babe.”

“You’re so clingy,” Liam moans but she can’t hide her killer grin. “Shut up and let’s nap.”

“I’ll stop clinging to you then,” Zayn says, going to move his arms away but Liam glares and tugs them back around her.

“Don’t you dare,” she warns. Zayn just grins and tucks his face into her neck, leaving a lingering kiss there.

When they traipse downstairs for tea later, Geoff can barely look either of them in the eye. Turns out their bedsprings actually _are_ quite loud. _Shit_.

“Worth it though,” Zayn giggles into her ear as Geoff thrusts a bowl of spaghetti at her and mutters something about carrying it to the table and away from him. “What a fantastic fuck.”

Liam’s too giddy to care about the awkwardness really. Sue her; she’s a little bit in love.

*

The train station is loud and freezing cold but Liam can’t feel anything apart from Zayn’s hands on her face and his lips on hers, kissing long and gentle as they get ready to say their goodbyes.

“Four weeks, yeah?” he says, pulling back and gently brushing his lips over her forehead. “Four weeks and then I get you for a long weekend, Thursday to Monday.”

“Too far away,” she mumbles. “Can’t believe you’re going already.”

“I love you,” he says, kissing her mouth again. “I’ve had the best four weeks with you and I just… god, I can’t wait for you to come to Manchester and then to come to Brighton and just… I’m really gonna miss you, Jesus.”

“Me too,” Liam says, chuckling wetly. “And I can’t wait. I really can’t wait.”

“Zayn,” Trisha interrupts with a sad smile. “Your train just pulled up. You should probably get on if you want a seat; looks quite busy, love.”

Zayn nods and turns to kiss Liam for the final time. His nose is cold against her cheek and he’s gripping at her hips more tightly than is comfortable but Liam can’t bring herself to care.

“I’ll see you soon, baby, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Liam nods. “Love you so much, text me when you get there.”

“Promise,” Zayn nods. “Love you too, be good.”

Liam smiles sadly as he pulls out of her arms before going to hug his mum and sister. With one final wave, he yanks his backpack onto his shoulders and then wheels his old little suitcase onto the train, where he disappears into a carriage.

“You okay?” Trisha asks after a second. She wraps an arm around Liam’s shoulders. Liam nods pathetically with a sniffle.

“Yeah, I guess. It’s only four weeks until I see him again, isn’t it? And we did eleven weeks so…”

“You’re not fooling anyone,” Trisha tells her and bundles her into a giant hug. Thank god for Trisha.

In the car on the way home, Liam’s phone vibrates with a text and she wriggles awkwardly, trying to pull it out past her seatbelt. It’s Zayn, of course.

**_4 weeks is nothing – we’ve done 11!! i love you and miss your beautiful face already, train is crowded and cramped!! hope youre doing okay without me and my mum isnt smothering you too much! xxxxxxxx_ **

She thinks they might do alright. Four weeks is nothing in comparison to the rest of their lives anyway.

*

_It’s two weeks before the end of the summer holidays and tonight’s the night that Zayn sleeps over for the first time because Liam’s parents are down in Swindon for the weekend to visit family and Liam bribed Nicola with the promise of two weeks’ worth of washing up not to tell them. She’s absolutely terrified for whatever reason but then Zayn shows up at her door at exactly seven o’clock, kisses her and leads her upstairs and she settles down because she’s not really sure what made her so nervous in the first place._

_It’s the first night of many that they stay up the whole night just talking, covering all subjects from university plans to favourite foods to celebrity crushes to the meaning of life. It’s getting light once more as they begin to cover the universe itself and Liam wasn’t ready for this – wasn’t ready for Zayn Malik to be so deep and have such interesting, downright nerdy thoughts towards things like this._

_(She still can’t quite get over the fact that they’re dating, let alone the fact Zayn seems happy to press little kisses into her mouth whenever she says something he deems particularly cute. He’s got a strange sincerity to him that Liam would never have imagined six months and she’s falling harder and harder every single day. She doesn’t know yet if that’s a good thing or not.)_

_“I dunno, like obviously it’s got to end somewhere, hasn’t it?” Zayn says. “I mean, there can’t just be infinite space. It doesn’t make sense, no matter how hard we try to wrap our heads around that.”_

_“What do you think about the idea of lots and lots of parallel universes?” Liam asks, trying not to yawn. “The idea that somewhere else there’s another us but we might be living in, like, Japan or somewhere?”_

_Zayn looks baffled. “So we’re still the same people and we have the same, like, personalities and stuff?”_

_“I think so,” Liam says. “So maybe we live in England again but one day, say, I did something else and then my life panned out totally differently. Maybe I didn’t take the 11+ and get into our school, for example.”_

_“And then you didn’t meet me,” Zayn grins cheekily. “And we would never have fallen in love.” The grin suddenly slides from his face and he claps a hand over his mouth._

_Liam gulps. “L-love? You’re in love with me?”_

_Zayn looks a little pale. “I mean… I think I love you, Liam. There’s something about you that makes me so…” He gulps nervously. “You don’t have to say it back, of course not, but I think… yeah, no, I love you, Liam Payne.”_

_Liam stares at him for a long time, still not saying anything because she’s pretty sure her brain just combusted and if she opens her mouth she might throw up._

_“I… was it too soon?” Zayn says hesitantly. “It just… I mean, I wasn’t planning on saying it yet but…”_

_Liam blushes. “No, I mean, I’m just in a little bit of shock, to be honest.”_

_“Why?”_

_Liam’s quite possibly the same colour as their ugly, gaudy blazer. “Because I was, like, pretty certain this wasn’t going to continue into sixth form.”_

_“What?!”_

_“Stop looking at me like that,” Liam whines. “Okay, just, wait a second so I can explain.” Zayn is still looking at her in some kind of horror so she hurries on. “You’re Zayn Malik, right?”_

_“I know that,” Zayn cuts him but she shushes him._

_“Yeah, alright, smartarse. But, like, you’re one of the most popular lads in our year and I’m just… just little old Liam Payne, the girl with the boy’s name who only hangs out with cool people like Niall and Andy by random association.”_

_Zayn nods thoughtfully. “I still don’t understand.”_

_“Girls like me don’t get boys like you,” Liam huffs. “I’m kind of not sure this is even happening still.”_

_“Liam,” Zayn says slowly. “High school isn’t the real world. Who cares if you were cool in school or not? Sure, it started out being important but, like, I know who my friends are now and to be fair, I have much more fun hanging out with you and Niall and that lot than I ever did with the football lads. I wanna be your boyfriend in sixth form, yeah?”_

_“I… yeah,” Liam says, still incredibly embarrassed. “I knew you’d find it dumb.”_

_“It’s not that I find it dumb, it’s just I didn’t think you’d care either,” Zayn shrugs. “I do love you though. You’re, like, exactly the girl I’ve always wanted.”_

_“Stop,” Liam moans, more embarrassed than she’s ever been in her life even though it’s only Zayn in front of her. “S’rubbish.”_

_“Not rubbish,” Zayn says, tangling his fingers into her curls. “Kiss me.”_

_And it’s a couple of weeks later that Liam realises that she loves Zayn back, when they’re talking about whether the world is going to end in 2012 and when Liam asks where Zayn wants to be if it does, he answers with a simple “right next to you, Liam.”_

_So she kisses him and she thinks that right next to Zayn might not be a bad place to be either._

_She hopes it stays that way._

 

**Author's Note:**

> [Liam's necklace](http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/miabellejewellery/product/personalised-sterling-silver-initial-necklace) / [Liam's corset](http://www.annsummers.com/p/tallulah-belle-corset/01srcras1050124) /


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